The Ring!

My mom along with a few others have been bugging me to put a close up picture of my ring up here... so finally here it is!

Andy did a wonderful job picking it out. (He did it all by himself) I wanted it to be a complete surprise, I did give him hints, like that I like round diamonds versus other shapes, and that I wanted it to be a conflict free diamond, but he did go shopping all by himself. It worked, I LOVE my ring!

Fall... Winter....Fall.... Win... oh whatever this season is

Wow, there have been so many things happening for us lately and I just haven’t had time to write about it so here’s some updates!

First off, with the wedding, we have a pastor to officiate! We asked my friend and former pastor, Russ Ham. He was the pastor at Rural Chapel United Methodist Church while I was in high school and some of college, and is a great mentor and friend! I am so excited that he is going to officiate at our wedding!

Second, we have picked our caterer! A very important choice for us to make- and one that we’re very happy with – Nicole’s Catering (based in Westerville) You may ask how we were able to pick a caterer while living hundreds of miles away from Columbus, the answer is we are very lucky to have a ton of friends and family members who are pitching in to help us plan. My mom, my mom’s best friend from growing up, my dad, and our friend Matt (who happens to be a chef) went and tasted food for us and asked all the right questions, so we are set for food!

I was so stressed out about planning the wedding from this far away and only being able to supervise from afar but from the nightmare that I thought it was going to be it has turned out to be surprisingly easy. If there’s one thing that has allowed it to be that way it is our friends and family. We are blessed with so many wonderful people in our lives that are helping us out daily, and I cannot begin to express how grateful I am for that. We also lucked out in having between Andy and I, a friend who is a florist, a friend who is a chef, a friend who is a fantastic cello player, a mom who is an amazing decorator, a mom who is great at keeping me on top of things (as she has been for the past 22 years), a dad who is pouring his heart and soul into landscaping, a dad who is great with logistics (especially with electricity, for which I am so grateful because I have no idea what I am doing (I daisy chain power chords and it would really be better if I wasn’t in charge of how we’re running power at the reception)), a friend who is a great designer, and of course many many friends who photograph for a living, so basically we have everything we need.

As far as work goes, my job is going well and basically the same as it has been. I’ve been photographing more sports lately (including Air Force football in freezing temperatures and freezing rain, let me tell you that was fun), other than that work is pretty much same old same old for me. Andy on the other hand has some exciting news. As of today he has signed on with a photography studio based in Old Colorado City (really close to downtown Colorado Springs, a really nice area) called Unforgettable Images. It’s a good deal for him and a job where he gets to photograph! So we’re both looking forward to seeing how that works out. While this is a welcome change, it does mean we’re going to have to shelf Pictovita (www.pictovita.com) (our photography company for those of you that don’t know about Pictovita yet) for a while. However if we choose to break out on our own and leave Unforgettable Images that could happen in the future.

As I mentioned earlier, the weather here has been somewhat sporadic as of late, with temperatures ranging from the mid 60’s to the teens with a wind chill factor bringing below zero temperatures. This brings on an adventure every day getting ready for work and trying to figure out what layers I’ll need to wear. The most interesting weather we’ve had recently was the freezing rain, which is nothing like freezing rain in Ohio. Instead of falling and making a clear coat on everything it’s more like being inside of a cloud, (which I’m pretty sure is what’s happening), the rain isn’t falling its just swirling around and collecting on things (The cloud is trying to take over the world!) which ends up looking like fine white ice crystals on everything (very pretty but still just as dangerous as the freezing rain back home while driving). We’ve also had our first Snow! It actually snowed a few weeks ago but out here they don’t really count it until it sticks to the ground in town. That happened for the first time this past weekend. Andy and I had fun taking some pictures of our yard, and I’ve been in a holiday mood for weeks now (As a rule I never listen to Christmas songs until after thanksgiving but this weather is totally making me break that rule as I’ve been listening to them for about a week now… and it’s not even Halloween!)

Speaking of Halloween… Andy and I are having a pumpkin carving party at our apartment with some friends and neighbors this weekend, which I’m looking forward too! I’m also hoping to have a friendly carving contest online where all of us can upload pictures of our pumpkins and show them off. (Can you tell I’m missing our normal Halloween hayride and bonfire celebrations?) More on that contest later…..

Anyway, that catches you all up on most of the recent happenings, and I’ll try to keep up with more regular posting! Check back soon and hopefully we’ll have some pumpkin pictures up!

-Rachel

p.s. Here are some photos from the freezing rain/cloud/thing that came through town... enjoy!

Extreme Landscaping

Andy and I made a trip back to Ohio this past weekend, which as always was a whirlwind but well worth it. We came into town to photograph the wedding of our friends Aaron and Maria who we know from school, so that was wonderful! We also were able to do the senior pictures of our good friend Martin. Beyond both of those photo shoots we also had a chance to see family and friends and talk about our own wedding which is less than a year away now.

Officially- the wedding will be September 18, 2010! So mark your calenders! Save the dates and offical invites will be coming soon so keep an eye out!

Also, getting to walk the yard and see all the yard work my parents continue to do was amazing! We got to have Andy's parents, Fran and Joe, over for dinner at the house friday night and it was wonderful to talk about plans and look at the site of the wedding. We are so excited! Here are some photos from this past trip of the yard, look how quickly things are changing! -Rachel


The hill by the driveway which was cleared of trees and bushes and has now been replanted

The planter at the end of the garden now filled with flowers


looking at the tree we're going to be married under from the driveway


another view of our tree and the garden from the driveway

Looking down the stairs which the old rock has now been removed from and my dad is pouring concrete steps in their place, which are beautiful!

A closer look at the steps, my dad is decorating each one with patterns of stone and bricks

Looking back up toward our tree and the newly replanted hill


looking out from the tree down the valley, which has been cleared out a ton!


Another view of our tree (that's Dan by the way getting into a lot of these pictures)


The tennis court where we're going to pitch the tent for the reception!


Another view of the tent location, we're going to be doing some more tree trimming etc.


On the tennis court looking toward the pool and the storage building (which is going to be our bar!)


My dad looking at all the clearing that he and my mom did around the fence of the pool (making a better path from the house to the tennis court (reception area)


Another close up of the stairs my dad is working on


The path that has been cleared around the outside of the pool fence as a path to the tennis court (reception area)


Another view of the tennis court

Camping at the Sand Dunes and Emerald Lake

A few weeks ago Andy and I went camping at Great Sand Dunes National Park (http://www.nps.gov/GRSA/index.htm). Which is truly one of the most amazing places I've ever been. It was so strange to see the huge dunes on the edge of the plains before the mountains. We had been warned by several people to go early in the morning so the sand wasn't lava under our feet. So we drive there on Friday night and camped overnight then got up very early to go hiking. I"m still not sure if we hiked the highest Dune, Star Dune or if it was just the second highest dune, High Dune, reguardless it was an amazing view. (Star Dune peaks at 750ft and High Dune reaches 650ft)

Beautiful light on the drive to the Dunes (a Three hour drive from the Springs) near the Spanish Peaks


Playing with painting with light at the campsite near the Sand Dunes


Dawn coming into our tent at the campsite near the Sand Dunes


Andy and I posing for a picture while hiking on the Sand Dunes early in the morning






View of the Sand Dunes and the mountains from the highest dune we climbed


Andy and I on the Dunes

That afternoon we drove to Crestone planning on camping there for the night, however there were not camping spaces left (they're available on a first come first serve basis) so we're planning on going back later to do this spot and hike.


View of the mountains coming into Crestone

Then we drive to Emerald Lake to spend our second night, a lot more people there, but it was still very pretty!


Emerald Lake


Sunrise at Emerald Lake (Photo Andrew List)


Driving through the South Park on the way home

I hope you enjoy the pictures! More adventures to come!
-Rachel

Location Location Location

Well, after months and months of trying to figure out the major points of the wedding, like say, where the ceremony and reception are going to be held and what day it's going to be- it's all been decided!

We looked at a ton of reception sites around the Columbus area including Smith Bros, Park of Roses, Clintonville Womens Club, North Bank Park Pavilion, Confluence Park Restaurant, Franklin Park Conservatory, and many others. There was always something about each of these places that didn't quite fit what we needed, whether it was a price issue, or space issue, or something else.

The Ceremony site was easier. We talked about having it at several different locations (some of which were previously mentioned). We knew we wanted an outdoor ceremony but I really wanted to have trees and a lot of the park locations were centered around a cheesy gazebo or something like it and that just didn't work for me. Finally we went back to my family's home in Delaware, Ohio and walked around the yard. As most of your reading this blog know, many of our family members have been married at "the farm" including my parents. Now there is going to be one more wedding there! We found the perfect spot under a sycamore tree below the garden.

Now our attention was turned back to reception site, but after a lot of work and research a solution presented itself- why not just rent a tent and have the reception at the farm too? Perfect! an option which is within our budget and allows us to pick whatever day we want and decorate however we want!

We are so excited and incredibly busy now that this decision has been made! There's still a ton of work to be done but things are moving along beautifully! My parents have been working on the yard like crazy- for those of you who haven't been there in the past month you're going to be stunned at the changes. Check out some of the pictures they've been sending me!


stone work done by my dad between the house and the pool fence


stone work creating a new planting bed by the turn around


another view of the new planting bed by the turn around


stone wall replacement for the railroad ties that used to be the edge of this planting bed at the bottom of the garden


The sycamore tree we decided to get married under! notice the hill behind it- remember all the old dead trees and bushes that used to be there? All gone!



Another view of the tree and the lower garden


do you remember this? If you do then you've known me a long time or have been coming to the farm for a long time because this old stone staircase grew over years ago.



My parents uncovered this to solve an issue we were having with the ceremony- how to get me from the house to the ceremony site without Andy seeing me or it being an strange processional. Being able to come from the house then take this stair case down to the valley then come around the the ceremony site is perfect! My dad is going to redo the stairs so they aren't so irregular (we don't want me tripping in my dress)

The same staircase viewed from the top looking down. I know that it looks pretty dangerous from here but it'll be taken care of.


more stone work from my Dad

Thanks so so so much Mom and Dad for doing all this yard work! The house is going to look amazing for next year and I am so happy to be getting married there!

Everybody- check back soon! I'll be updating this much more frequently with not only wedding stuff but also what Andy and I have been up to in Colorado! I hope everyone is doing well and I can't wait to see you all again soon!

-Rachel

The Engagement!

We're Engaged!

Andy proposed to me the day after Ohio University's graduation, Sunday, June 14, 2009. Our friend Sara was doing a photo shoot of the two of us because ( I thought) my mom had been bugging me for photos of us because as is the case with most photographers we have very few pictures of ourselves.

We took pictures at Emeriti Park and on College Green. While we were posing on College Green Andy asked if I wanted to look at any of the pictures Sara was taking, I said sure, and started looking through the images with Andy. He flipped back to the first image on the camera:



I was so surprised I read it a few times then turned to Andy who got down on one knee and brought out the most beautiful ring I've ever seen. Of course I said yes! Andy couldn't have proposed to me in a more perfect way and I couldn't be happier! Here are a few of the pictures from the proposal and photo shoot, enjoy!











I feel like the luckiest girl in the world as I'm writing this because I've found the best man to spend my life with. We decided to create this blog to keep you all updated on the wedding plans and all our news so check back soon for more updates as we add them!

-Rachel