edit, edit, edit

This morning I had the immense pleasure of catching up with one of my very favorite people on the planet via video chat, Amara! We talked for a good 2.5 - 3 hours and it FLEW. Seriously we started our chat in the morning and then it was, like, all of a sudden the afternoon (late evening for her). She resides in London and I haven't seen her since the Summertime so it was absolutely blissful to see/chat with her. I also got to chat with Ben, which was awesome! I love that dude. There's also a slight chance David and I will get to see them both this summer (but that's not for sure yet, so I'm not going to get ahead of myself) and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll all work out.


After my lovely chat with Amara, I bought David's Valentine's Day gift online and I can't, can't, can't wait to show it to you all (and Dave of course), but I'll have to hold off until after I give it to him.


I also spent the better part of my day editing our honeymoon photos. 
When I say "better part of my day", what I mean is, I'm still editing them. 
Dave is asleep and I'm still at my desk, editing, which is fun because it's like reliving those moments, but there's a massive amount to edit.


Here's the deal: David took his Nikon with him (all I took was my iPhone equipped with Hipstamatic) and we each took over 2,000 photos while we were gone. So I have to go through them all to filter & edit them. It's really difficult to filter because there are just so many gorgeous photos and I have a difficult time letting go of them (so there is still a lot). 


When you go to four different countries in four weeks, you take a lot of photos. That's just, you know, how it goes.


The reason I have spent my whole day doing this is because we are planning to have my in-laws over to our house (for the first time) for dinner on Sunday evening and I really, really want to finish editing these photos so that I can make a slideshow, put them on DVDs and give them to our families.


I also have to clean the house and buy groceries in advance before then. I'll be busy ALL day on Saturday, which leaves me with only Thursday and Friday to finish this editing and make this place spic and span for company.


I only have one country left to edit and that is Italy, so my goal is to do that before I go to sleep. 


I also took a few minutes to edit a photo from our wedding that has often been overlooked by me, but I realized today was one of my favorite shots of David and I in general. All of our wedding photos were taken by the insanely talented Aaron Shintaku, which OBVIOUSLY do not need to be re-edited, but just for fun I made it look all old-timey and cutesy.


Here are a few preview shots of what I've edited today so far, and the fun little wedding photo I edited as well.

{Our favorite pub in Dublin, Ireland}

{The "servant's quarters" of the Blarney Castle, Ireland. 

Psh, not too shabby.}

{Part of the golf course of The Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo, Ireland}

{Part of The Ashford Castle}

{How can you resist stepping on the greenest grass on earth?}

{View from the back of The Ashford Castle}

{The Ashford Castle's stables}

{The home of the last victim of Jack the Ripper, London, England}

{Waiting to meet up with Ben in London}

{Kensington Palace gardens, London}

{Chillin' at a local pub}

{The Big Ben}

{Notre Dame, Paris, France}

{The gates of Versailles}

{In the Louvre, Paris}

{Top of the Tower}

{Our "romantic dinner cruise" on the River Seine}

{Old-timey kiss}

a look back at 2010

This year was unlike any other year in my life, for many reasons. Some of the events I look back on with extreme fondness and pleasure. Others, I try not to think on... but regardless of what happened this year, I cannot deny that this year was unforgettable for me.


Here is a look at my 2010


This year:

I turned 26

I married the most beautiful human being

my love

my David

Went on the most incredible honeymoon of a lifetime

(even if we spent all of our money to get there 

& I gained more weight than I care to admit, 

which I'm still struggling to lose, it was worth it)

Ireland

London

Paris

Italy

Met & fell madly in love with Alli

{she is an AMAZING friend}

Spent a wonderful last summer with & said goodbye to my MarMar<3

(she now resides in London with her love, Ben)

Watched my eldest niece, Savanna, turn 16!

(that was scary)

Said a final farewell to a dear, beloved lifelong friend

(we will always miss him)

He really does call me "Red" now

Went to Kyle & Jaymee's gorgeous Palm Springs wedding

Met the Hubs & my mom in Texas

LOVED being his Wifey

(and getting adorable notes like these)

Got to know some really awesome people at church 

{like Kacie!}

(and enjoyed times like these with them and will hopefully enjoy many more)

Saw the Judds' live!

(seriously, I was in awe of these women)

and had our very first Christmas as hubs and wifey in Manhattan

(and my very first White Christmas to boot!)

I also sent out our first Christmas post card

(I only had the time/budget for a limited amount to send out, so I'm sorry if you didn't get one!)

{We also couldn't decide which one we liked the best, so we made all three and sent them out randomly}

Instead of ringing in the New Year with friends and champagne (which was the plan), we are spending it here at home because I am feeling pretty sick/dizzy/exhausted. The composing of this entry is due mostly in part to the fact that I'm trying to keep myself awake until midnight.

But, I hope you all are doing something a lot more fun than just sitting at home, watching Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin and trying not to fall asleep.

Happy New Year everyone and I hope you all have a wonderful, exciting, safe and happy 2011!

Thankful on Paper: Week Two

It's the second week of Being Thankful On Paper and I'm pretty excited for this week's installment.

This week I am thankful for my dear friend, Amara.

First of all, I have known Amara for quite a few years now, I really don't know how many and I couldn't pin point the first time we met, but what matters most is that we are still close and in the past couple of years we have grown so much closer.

Amara is the reason why I am married to David. She and Dave have been great friends since high school. If it weren't for her introducing us that fateful night or for her encouragement of our courtship, who knows where we'd be!

But that's not the only reason why I am thankful for her or why we grew so much closer since I met Dave. Amara is one of those rare people (like Alli in my previous TOP post) who are sincerely genuine, loyal, loving and compassionate. When she listens to you, she doesn't just wait for her turn to talk, she listens with intention and heartfelt concern and empathy. She is loving, generous, hilarious, fun and so down to earth.

Amara was not only one of my bridesmaids in my wedding, but she was there for me in so many ways during the stressful, crazy, joyous, fun and annoying time of wedding planning. She would call, text or email me on a regular basis to ask if I needed anything. If I needed support, help or just an ear to hear me complain, she was there. 

Side note: 

We even spent part of our honeymoon with her dear bf, Ben, in London. He showed us all around the city every day we were there and even took us to his hometown in the outskirts of London. He introduced us to Indian food, delicious cider beer and the wonder and amazement that is the UK, among many other things. We had such a great time and got to know Ben so much more and I am so thankful for that opportunity we had. Since Amara is such a dear friend to both Dave and I, it was so special for us to get to know and love Ben so much more.

~

Not only was that time we spent leading up to the wedding so important for our friendship and helped us grow even closer, but we continued to grow close after the wedding. She would come over to our place and hang out, most of the time help me cook dinner or bake some treats. There were so many awesome talks and laughs we had in my little kitchen and on the very couch I am sitting on right now. During some really difficult times that recently occurred (and to which I've alluded to in previous posts) within my family, she was one of the only few friends of mine who reached out to me and expressed their concern or even just simply listened. I am so thankful for my sweet Mar Mar!

Since Amara moved to London to go to school and also to be closer to Ben this Summer I have really missed those times and it has certainly not been the same without her. I so wish she could still be here, but I am so happy for her and this new chapter of her life. I admire her for following her heart wherever it has led her, even across the pond! I can't wait for the day I will see her and Ben again.

I am so thankful that God blessed me with such an amazing friend in Amara. She is loved and missed beyond measure!

So thank you, Amara, for being the wonderful, beautiful, sincere and amazing you that you are <3