anniversary weekend recap

 this weekend marked our first anniversary! we decided to have a little family weekend getaway. it was so much fun to have a weekend with nothing planned and to adventure around at our own pace.

we hit the road and drove a few hours away to kenora, ontario.  it was micah's first time going to a different province, so of course we had to document it. he was such a good little travel buddy.

 we of course had to take our picture with husky the musky. i propped the camera on a picnic table and ran to get in the picture. it was the best we could do. the beauty that surrounded us was amazing. as a kid i would go camping here with my family. i have many memories of this place. it's exciting that i am able to make memories with my own family now at this same place.

 another first for micah this weekend was going swimming. he had just poked himself in the eye really hard so he has a scowl but i think he enjoyed it. he didn't cry and the water was cold, so that's a good sign. hopefully we will be able to hit up the beach and pool a lot this summer. 

we were able to enjoy a lot of walking and taking in the beauty around us. can you spot the fawn?

we will be back! if not for the nature, relaxed paced living, then definitely for the nutella filled perogies @twistedperogy

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one year!

 it has been one amazing year since this beautiful perfect day!

so much has happened this past year and i wouldn't change a minute of it.

 here is to 50 more years babe.

i love you!

thankful {jan pic a day recap}

this year i am attempting to take a picture everyday. some days it's prompted by a photo challenge other days there are so many wonderful things to take pictures of that i have a no problem capturing moments from that day. pictures can bring back memories and emotions in an instant. so i hope that i am able to complete this challenge that i have put on myself but also not be to hard if i miss a day here or there.

{1. my view 2. crochet bowl 3. starting custom order 4. finishing custom order 5. pizza night with nik 6. potato dill soup      7. my love 8. blustery day 9. #shereadstruth 10. growing belly 11. babe and i snowed in at my moms 12. crochet with the babe 13. crib! 14. ice-never enough ice 15. pumped for the return of suits 16. valentines cowl}

i know that at the end of the year i will be very glad that i did this and be so thankful that i can look back at these pictures because this year is going to be BIG!

{17. soduko 18. growing belly 19. adventuring 20. blue prairie sky 21. date in night 22. bbq chicken soup 23. rug burn        24. lost my drawers 25. happy mail day 26. pretty clouds 27. nice enough to be out side and walk 28. bandwagon jumper    29. starting my morning right 30. my baby celery 31. happy time}

big because we are going to get to welcome our sweet little peanut into our life. i am so overjoyed and so thankful that i get to be a momma and that the Lord is trusting clint and i to raise a precious little human. i know it will be an time of growth for us both but i know that this is where the Lord has called us to be at this time in life.

happy last day of january! 

bring on february with all its lovey dovey-ness, cold winds, and snuggles.

linking up with the sweet carina

one month:: wedding pictures

wow time has passed quickly! clint and i have already been married for a month. it has truly been and amazing month but where has the time gone?

i thought i would share some of my favorite wedding pictures to celebrate our one month of marriage. i am absolutely in love with the pictures that our amazing photographer captured! 

i am so glad that one month ago i was able to marry my best friend and start this amazing new chapter in life with him. i am so thankful that God placed such an amazing man in my life and that we get to journey together through it all.

 

some things that i am learning and being reminded about clint:

this man l.o.v.e.s. his sleep, i knew that before but didn't realize how much!

he is not easily angered 

organization, not his strong point

he cares about how our home is decorated

 he is beyond laid back

he talks, turns lights on, and has whole conversations in his sleep

some things i am learning and being reminded about myself:

i am not good at sitting down and relaxing, there is also something that needs to be done!

meal planning is my new best friend

i am a morning person

i don't need much sleep to function

i love having fresh flowers in the house

 everything has a place, i love organization

 our first month of marriage has been fantastic and i am excited to spend the rest of my life with this amazing man. i am excited to see what our future holds, where God will lead us and the amazing adventurous we will go on.

clinton i am glad that you choose me to share your life with! 

i love you!

photographer: andrea sawatzky personal blog // photography blog
linking with: lisa, grace, laura, and carissa

i'm back! - honeymoon via instagram

 hey friends! it has been a while.  i needed the break but i am so glad to be back. 

i thought i would share with you some honeymoon pictures from last week. 

we couldn't have asked for a better week. the weather was fantastic and the sun was always shining.

 

 

 

 

 we made it our goal that e.v.e.r.y. meal had to be BBQ it was fun and deliscious

french toast & kabobs

 

 

  

the water was being pushed up the water falls one day because it was so windy. 

 

 

 

 daises were everywhere - so many beautiful sunsets - coffee on the dock

we had such a great time but we are glad to be back home. 

i am so excited to start making out 'house' (basement suite) a home. 

i will share pictures once there is some order brought to the mass choas that is our home. 

i will also share wedding pictures as soon as i get them. 

ps. my url has changed to amberenns.blogspot.com

i will be doing a blog revamp and getting new buttons and such so that everything will be switched over.

marriage on my minds: Alesha

Hello Life...Unscripted readers!  My name is Alesha and I blog over at Blessed to be a Blessing!  Amber is one of my favorite bloggers.  So naturally, I'm thrilled to be guest posting here today about my wedding (one of my favorite topics).

My amazing husband Travis and I got married last year on May 28th!  It was truly one of the best days of my life.

Travis and I met in youth group at our church during our sophomore year of high school.  We took several classes together during Running Start our junior year and were part of a very tight knit group of friends.  Near the end of our junior year, he asked me if we could start spending more time together, and so began some of the happiest years of my life! (To read a full story of how we met and how he proposed, go here)

I had always wanted a wedding with sunflowers, but since we got married in May, that was kinda out of the question.  So I needed a new "theme" to design my wedding around.  My favorite color is pink, so that was a must, and my middle sister LOVES (I mean LOVES) orange.  I thought it would be cool to let her wear orange.  So we ended up with pink, orange, and yellow, with Izzies soda as our theme.  I argued with my mom and sisters for MONTHS about what flowers we should have.  (I wanted roses, but they said daisies).  I am SO glad we went with the gerber daisies.  Aren't they beautiful?  And they really do go better with the Izzies.... 

What made our wedding special and unique was that we made it special and unique.  No duh, right?  Well let me explain.

1.  We saved ourselves for each other.  Our first kiss was on our wedding day!  We had a private moment after the "first look" to share our first kiss without 400 pairs of eyes looking on (yes, we had that many people at our wedding!)

2.  We personalized the reception.  There were pictures of us on every table.  The lunch and dessert bar (we didn't provide cake for guests) were labeled with tags telling the name of the food and which ones were our favorites.

3.  We made most things ourselves.  We had a friend make the bridesmaid dresses.  I had an "invitation making party" with close girl friends and my youth group girls.  We made the decorations.  Our families drank the Izzies so we could use the empty bottles.  We decorated the sanctuary and reception hall ourselves (with some creative inspiritation with another lady from our church).  A family friend (15 years old) made the cheesecake that Travis and I cut and ate.  Her mom arranged our flowers.  One of my best friends did my makeup.  A couple of sweet ladies from our church did our hair.  We picked the food (salads) from family recipes that we loved and had several family friends make them for us.

4.  I got my first ever manicure and pedicure the day before the wedding with my mom.

5.  We had music played by dear friends and picked non-traditional stuff that we liked.

6.  We had friends do our photos.  We were comfortable with them, so we were happy and relaxed resulting in TONS OF AWESOME photos!

7.  The entire bridal party (with the exception of the ring bearer and flower girl) wore Chuck Taylor Converse.  (I love converse!)

8.  We had a recieving line where we quickly greet, hugged, and occasionally introduced to each other each of the 400 guests.  It didn't take more than 30 minutes and we personally said hello to everyone who attended our wedding.

9.  We had our MC (also a good friend) announce us when we came into the reception and say that we were going to eat and would greet guest presently.  So we actually got to eat all the amazing food!  And we had already said at least "hi" to everyone so there was no stress about that!

Believe it or not, these simple, sweet little personalizations made it SO special!  We wanted the day to show us, who we were, and what we were like; it did.  The whole thing showed our personalities and love for God without it feeling put on.  They day was designed for US, NOT for our guests and so we were comfortable and relaxed.  It was special because we worked hard to make it that way and I am so glad that we did.

Advice for Planning:

Think about your guest, but not too hard.  This day is for YOU.  Make it comfortable for you and your fiance.

Advice for Your Marriage:

Approach disagreements as if they are a problem that the two of you have to work together to solve.  This way you are working together to fix the problem instead of arguing at each other.

Take time FREQUENTLY to talk and stay updated on every area of life.

Most Importantly

Keep God the center of your marriage.

When you are close to Him, you will be close to each other. 

So excited for you Amber!
 I hope that your wedding is all you both have dreamed it will be. =)

Be blessed.

Alesha <3
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Thanks so much for sharing Alesha and the great advice!
 

best dates ever!!

hi there, jordyn here! i blog over at intangible goodness and, today, i am happy to bring you a little out-of-the-ordinary tutorial. i do a lot of crafts and little cooking but i didn't feel like writing a tutorial on those things -- mostly because i've been spending most of my time outside enjoying this beautiful weather. instead, this is a tutorial about dating -- which is just as good as food and crafts, if you ask me!

you may read my blog, you may not, but if you do, you know that dating my husband is my absolute favorite thing ever. in the whole world! i mean, what could be better than going on an adventure with your favorite person? nothing. even though i am no expert, i will totally pretend to be one in order to give you some great tips on having the best dates ever. 

and so, without further ado, i bring you: how to have the best dates ever!

1. keep it cheap!

my husband is in grad school. i'm a teacher. we really have no other choice. luckily, being cheap has forced us to use lots of creativity in coming up with dates. go to target with three bucks a piece and buy your spouse a surprise. make coffee to-go and watch the sunset. play scrabble in a park. explore a different part of town on foot. you just have to think outside the box!

 2. forget fancy dinners!

fancy dinners are overrated. ben and i had all these plans to go somewhere nice & expensive for our one year anniversary but the day of our fancy date, i was craving some greasy, cheesy fellini's pizza {my favorite pizza place}. so we had pizza & it was way more fun and relaxed! it's okay to forgo all the fanciness if it makes you happy!

3. get outside!

outside dates are our personal favorite for so many reasons. God made this lovely, beautiful earth for us to enjoy, so enjoy it! hiking, biking, picnics, running, walking, bonfire-ing, & any combination of those make awesome dates. plus, they're the most budget friendly kind of date and i like that.

4. stay at home dates!

staying at home can be fun, too! some great stay at home dates that we've done include a living room camp-out -- complete with a tent, an air mattress, a movie and cookies, a homemade pizza night which included a trip to the grocery store to buy all kinds of crazy toppings for our pizzas, and our living room picnic date with a spread of delicious bakery goods.

5. coffee dates!

easy peasy, right? head to your closest starbucks or local coffee joint and order your favorite drink. biscotti is a must!

happy dating, friends!

thank you so much for sharing jordyn!!
i will be sure to remember these once i am married in 82 days :)

be sure to stop by and say hi to the lovely jordyn 

marriage on my mind: Liz @ Behind the Scenes

hello lovely ladies (and gents) today we have the lovely Liz sharing about her wedding!
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Hey ladies! My name is Liz & I blog over at Behind the Scenes! Of course when Amber mentioned anything regarding weddings, I was all over it! Seriously I loved my day, but I would definitely change a few things if I had the option.

One thing I wouldn’t change…

My groom. With him, I made the right choice. I have no doubts about that! He is my best friend. After 6 years of dating we finally said I DO and it was the best moment of my life. Now 2 1/2 years into marriage & I love him more than I did on our special day. I’m serious. That does happen. If you work at it, this will be the most exciting & rewarding journey you will travel.



Now for my favorite part of the day (besides having both my dad & step-dad walk me down the aisle), oddly enough my guests would probably never expect me to say it. The rain! Let me explain a little. All day, the skies looked great. Sunny & bright. But about an hour before my wedding they started getting dark. Me being the optimist that I am (sometimes) didn’t encourage anyone to gather umbrellas or make different plans. My wedding was outside. With no tent. As I was walking down the aisle, I felt the first drop. By the time I made it up the stairs and into the gazebo, it was a straight on down-pour. My bridal party was frantically trying to get under the gazebo. My guests were scrambling to find umbrellas. A family friend was trying to cover the photographer. It was a little bit of chaos. I was horrified. A little upset & a tad bit angry. I mean, it was literally raining on my wedding. Tough stuff for me, since I planned everything to the last detail.



But, it has provided almost 3 years of laughs and memories that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Because what happened when the pastor announced us as husband & wife..it stopped raining, the sun came out, & a beautiful rainbow appeared.



It was incredible. And now, I’m able to look back and declare that was my favorite part.

I think I can sum that up as the unique part of the day too. But as far as what I contributed to the uniqueness, would have to be our centerpieces. The MR. is a huge golfer. So naturally we had to incorporate that. And we did. But would you believe that nobody actually took a decent picture of them?



And the cake. Oh woman, the cake was love.



And moving along to the things I would change. The very sad part of this is that I probably would change my bridal party. Don’t get me wrong, I love those ladies tons & tons. But when ya plan a wedding, things happen. And personalities are shown. Looking back, I would just have family. It’s easier. I think that’s something a lot of people will tell you though. When you look back years later, you want to be able to say those friendships are still there & strong, but sadly when you get married and your friends don’t, a change happens. Not necessarily a bad change, but a change none the less. You have to learn how to still be friends with a hubby expecting & needing more time with you.

Oh and I’d pretty much make it a destination wedding. On the beach. Somewhere warm. With close family & friends. And I’d use pinterest like there was no tomorrow to step up my decorations.



My advice for a soon to be bride: don’t stress the tiny things. They aren’t worth it. Seriously. Your day is all about you and your man. Not you and your dress or your hair or the decorations. I wish someone would have told me that then. I think I would have enjoyed the planning a lot more if I would have just been genuinely happy that I was getting married to my man instead of fretting about ever little detail.



My advice for the newlyweds: communicate. be honest. say I love you. trust. get away. (from family/friends). learn how to be together. learn how to solve problems, without the help of your parents or siblings. I think it is so incredibly important that you start from day one depending on each other for things. You are one now. You have made a vow to each other & God that you would do life together. The two of you. So do just that. Don’t let the opinions and problems of others find their way into your world. Just simply be husband & wife. Be best friends. And whatever you do, don’t say things out of anger. You will always, 100% of the time regret it.



Mainly, if I could tell Amber one thing to remember through this…keep dreaming about life after that wedding day. It’s only one day. When you wake up the following morning, you will be a wife. You will have the rest of your days to spend with your hubby. And you don’t want to start that union carrying the weight of wedding “day” problems!



Thank you so much for letting me share about my special day! It’s so fun to go back and look through pictures & let those memories fill me with happiness! I can’t wait to follow along on your journey!

Congratulations Amber!

You can find me at these places if you are interested in learning more :
Blog / Twitter / Facebook
I’d love to have you visit
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thanks so much for sharing Liz!!