I think about weddings a lot, both my own and my friends and family (I have been a bridesmaid three times and am currently an ecstatic maid of honour for my best friend’s wedding next Spring). I pretty much have my wedding planned out and pages in my diary strictly for jotting down ideas for when my times comes.

The thing I am certain I will stress out over the most is the guest list.Though as I get older this happens less and less, in the past I would have classified myself as a people pleaser and spent way too much of my time worrying about what other people think. I am worried that when it comes time to invite people to my imaginary wedding I won’t be able to draw the line on people who don’t need to be there.

Over the years of blogging and tweeting I have made many friends over the internet (as I am sure many of you have as well). These are people I talk to almost every day and develop wonderful, supportive friendships with. People like this girl and this girl. People who I tell some of my deepest secrets to and people who are there for me when I am upset or having troubles.

My question is: Do you invite these friends to your wedding? Do you invite your bloggy friends to your wedding? What if you have an anonymous blog – do you invite them and make up a story of how you met? Do you invite someone to your wedding who you have only met in person once but talk to almost every day? Or do you have to put this huge part of your life aside when it comes to your wedding day?

I for one know that when it comes time to mail my invitations you’d better believe that Reggy and Michelle will find one in their mailboxes. And I would be delighted if they chose to attend.

We got lots of clothes, nice warm outfits and blankets, a cradle, an amazing quilt, diaper bag (that matches the stroller perfectly), and a MEC baby carrier!

We played a few fun games

• break the baby’s water – They froze little babies into ice cubes and the guests had to melt the baby out without touching the ice (it was in a plastic cup)
• Mingling Bingo- get signatures from someone who… went to university with Kate, knows Kate’s birth weight, knows Kate’s birthday… etc.
• Guess the size of Kate’s belly- my sisters thought I wouldn’t like this game but it was just fun to see what people guessed. Most guessed way too large! It turns out that my belly is 41inches around.
• Left-Right Story.  Mom read a story and 2 people held prizes, whenever she said left or right people would have to pass the gift left or right.

I took photos at the beginning and Lauren was nice enough to take photos during the gift opening.

Washcloth cupcake

Diaper cake filled with goodies- washcloths, baby toys, spoons, baby blanket, stuffed animal and the cutest baby mittens (my most favourite baby accessory)!

Frozen baby game

Mic gave Raspbaby and Raspberry themed gift! Raspberry tea (for me), 3 raspberry onsies and a raspberry pacifier.

Quilt made by my aunts! I love it so much.

After opening gifts they handed out these pages for the guests to fill out with Wishes for Raspberry. They were all so cute, and being the pregnant woman that I am I even teared up while reading these at home.  This baby is going to be and already is so loved.

Here’s a few (okay a lot) of the wishes:

I hope you learn

• patience
• how to sing (fittingly from Michelle “the piano player” )
• the difference between good and bad
• to play baseball
• to ride a bike
• that you are loved
• to dance
• to play an instrument
• quickly
• to quilt or weld

I hope you aren’t afraid

• of pigs
• to try new things
• to be wrong
• to dream big
• of me!
• to speak your mind
• , ever.

I hope you love

• life
• your mommy and daddy lots
• to sing
• farming!!
• life, sunshine and rain
• everybody

I hope you get

• lots of love
• not as much as you want
• good schooling
• lots of birthdays
• a hug everyday
• a sibling
• lots of hugs from Lauren

I hope you laugh

• every second you get
• every day
• a lot
• easily and every day

I hope you never forget

• to smile
• how much you are loved
• your roots
• how excited we were for you to come
• the joy you brought to your family
• to believe in yourself
• those who love you
• to call your mother
  

I hope you ignore

• jealousy
• insults
• drugs
• everything Louie says
• people who ever doubt you
• jerks around you

I hope you become

• musically inclined
• all you want to be
• a world traveler
• a good person
• a father or mother
• a ski racer (from Lau)
• successful at whatever you love
• the best you can be

I hope you respect

• your mommy
• your grandmother (from who else??)
• yourself
• your heritage
• life
• the earth

I hope you inherit

• kindness
• your parents’ kind nature
• good health
• your mommy’s good looks
• your grandmothers work ethic
• your mom’s blonde hair
• your family’s zest for life!
• Kate’s smile

I hope you grow

• big and strong
• only as much as you need to
• older and wiser than me!
• up happy and healthy
• 10 feet tall
• big and strong like your auntie Lauren
• in faith and trust of what you can do
• up surrounded by family
• up to be just like your parents
• and grow and grow
• raspberries in your garden
• slowly so we can all watch and enjoy

First thing, this movie is for Aley. Puppy vs. Cat We were talking about what I should write about, and her suggestions were something along the lines of “me, puppies, me, kittens, procrastination, me”, so there you go Al. I also have to post this video, because Nicole Kraumanis is my amazing cheerleading idol. Nicole Team Canada Audition

Second, my car died yesterday. It was a sad day spent at home, not being able to go to school without scrounging up $3 to take the bus there, and probably $3 back.  I hardly got any studying done there, because T-Mo distracts me at every chance she gets…so does the lure of my comfy bed.  I called CAA this morning to go to school, and they told me it would be about 4 hours. Thank goodness it only took about 1.5 hours.  So I drove around Ottawa for about 20 minutes because the CAA man told me to, and I would have done whatever he said to make my car okay again.  During my drive I realized that Ottawa is an awesome city in any season.  Most cities are only fun to walk around in in the summer, and dreadful during the winter months (if they do have cold, snowy winter months), but Ottawa is just so nice.  In my opinion there are 3 things that make Ottawa so beautiful during the winter.

1) Parliament.

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If you can find something in your city that looks as amazing as this during the winter send ‘er over.  Otherwise this wins the prize. Here’s a better picture of the lights on Parliament:

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2) Rideau Canal.  For those of you who don’t know, Ottawa has the world’s largest skating rink (Winnipeg has the longest, but I guess it’s skinnier),  measuring 7.8km (4.8 miles) long.  Along the way they have Beaver Tails, hot chocolate, skate rentals, and it’s the focus of  the Winterlude festival.

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Me and my friend Andrena skating last year.

3) The Byward Market.

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To be honest I don’t know a lot about the Market.  I know that most of the good bars are there, there are some super cute shops, and they have cute vendors on the sidewalk.  Oh, and my favourite restaurant- Lonestar!  It’s a nice place to take a walk, which is what Kaylee and I do a lot there.

Anyways, this post just justified my love for Ottawa.  I do love it a lot, but I will love going home on Monday even more I think! Especially once my exams are all over and done with!

Hope you all had a great weekend, I know I did!  Cheerleading Nationals were this weekend in Brampton, and pretty much the whole fam jam came. 4/5 blondes were there, 3 aunts, 1 Dave,  1 brother in law, 1 oma, and 1 mom! I always have the biggest entourage there and I love it!

We came 4th! Our awesome coaches Anson and Meagan are in the front.

Karlene, Ashley and Me at awards.

Me and Ashley at the Afterparty! Which was innnnsanee.

More pictures will be coming, this is just all I have right now!

Coincidentally, this person is also having her 22nd birthday today! This is Stef, who has been my best friend since I was three.

When we were children, Stef and I lived 10 minutes apart. We would play dress up (she had the most awesome dress up clothes), we would go to each other’s school dances,  we would play Nintendo 64, and would always go camping every summer with our families (our Mom’s also happened to be best friends).

We would tie bars of soap to our feet with elastics and jump on her trampoline with the sprinkler on underneath.

When we got older, Stef’s Mom moved their family away from the farm and to our nations capital to further her career, so started the family road trips to Ottawa.

I couldn’t live without her so far away, and I was so happy when she came to the same University as me.

Then I moved to Calgary, and can you believe that I didn’t see Stef for 14 months? She got an internship that brought her to Calgary (did I mention how absolutely brilliant and sought after this girl is?) and we got to be inseparable again for a few weeks.

I love this girl, this magificent woman who is there for me in joy and when  I just need to cry.

Happy Birthday Stef!

I just can’t live without her.