Wedding part 1.....

We have returned!!! And despite my weakness I have shown to the blogging world..... I am determined to blog about this huge step Erik and I have made in our lives!! So sit back..... it has been a crazy three weeks.

Here we go:

May 8, 2010- we decided to have an "open house" or an engagement party as most people saw it as. We were not married yet, I did not wear my wedding dress, there was no wedding cake, nothing fancy about it. But..... It was a chance for all our New Mexico friends and family to wish us luck. I have already posted most details of the wedding so I will try to spare repeating myself. Lets jump back a little, and share some pictures....

 About a month before (weather was still not great)..... my dad decided he wanted to fix up the backyard a bit (as I have mentioned in previous post). A "little project" in his mind. HOLY SMOKES!!!! What an understatement.....

He first started out by building a 12ft x 12ft deck coming out of the pool.

We then went out and bought all these bricks (or whatever they are) to build a "small" retaining wall to use as a flower bed in front of the deck. This "small" wall gradually got larger and larger. Multiple trips BACK to home depot for hundreds more bricks..... and multiple trips back to the lot to retrieve more loads of dirt (to cover our not so "small" flower bed)...... here we have.....

One retaining wall built within another retaining wall. And a wall that wraps around the whole deck. We just kept building.... and with a few minor details (not leveling right, wall collapsing in, and not knowing how to stop the dirt from the upper wall from sliding down to the lower beds....) we managed to get it done!

May not look like much.... but trust me!!! It was a ton of work. On top of the deck (I think I have officially mastered the drill), the rock wall, planting a TON of flowers, maintaining the pool and pond.....we also layed red rock around the whole pool, we built steps, pathways, dug up and re transplanted multiple bushes, and sod.... we redid (twice) the side yard with sod and more red rock and pathways. End result.....

Not bad, huh?? Again..... have to give most of the credit to my dad. He is awesome! Hardest worker I know! I didn't get many pictures of this reception (and no photographer.... dang!). Not even a single picture of Erik or I..... opps! Maybe someone else has more on their camera?

New Mexico open house was a success. Mother got little sandwiches and desserts and drinks. Almost everyone from our church stopped by, along with lots of other close friends and coworkers  to wish us off. It was so nice to just relax and chat with everyone.

Oh yes..... there was a chocolate fountain as well!!! It was a major hit..... highly recommended!

Toward the end of the night...... some of our close friends stayed. We had a fire, opened presents, and went hot tubbing and swimming.

I've always been taught that trials are blessings in disguise.... and as much as I did NOT want to move to New Mexico a few years ago, we could not help but to sit back and realize how much we really do love it here...... and everyone we have come in contact with.