Special Days

There are many special days throughout the year; birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc.  I am lucky enough to have three very special anniversaries to celebrate with the love of my life.  Each one is a moment in time, where we marked our commitment to one another in a special and loving way.

 March 13, 2013 – our first commitment day.

This one is rather unique and special to us.  He bought me a very unique and beautiful necklace to adorn my throat.  It’s light weight and made from titanium.  It’s a perfect circle and when I wear it, it has no beginning and no end, like our love for each other.  It’s a commitment because it can only be removed with a special key.  He carries the key on his key chain and I carry a spare in my purse.  It’s only ever been removed for medical purposes (I had an MRI done).  It goes through airport security with me, travels around the world with me. 

November 7, 2014 – our wedding day.

So proud of this story, we literally ran off to Vegas and got married.  It was spontaneous, plugged into technology (we live streamed it so our friends at home and around the world could watch).  It was silly, and funny, and truly lined up with our spirit of living life and enjoying it to the fullest.

June 21, 2015 – our wedding reception.

What an epic party!  We got all dressed up and celebrated.  IT WAS EPIC.  There were beautiful speeches (Michaela) and funny speeches (Jackson) and touching speeches (Ethan) and laughing, great food, wonderful beer, good friends, family.  Then we danced the night away!  I can’t even tell you if anything went wrong (well, people left early because they thought it was over, when they were just clearing tables for dancing) but nothing felt wrong and it was amazing.

So, add these three extra special days to all the other great days during the year and I’m truly one lucky lady!

The calm after the storm

*whew* I made it.  The last two months have been an absolute blur.  Between the reception, the Sales Conference and the absolutely epic honeymoon in Scotland, I feel like a whole new person.  Through the wringer and I’ve come out all fresh and new.

The wedding reception:

Well my mother showed up and my long time friend Jeremy did a great job of babysitting her so she wasn’t any issue.  I even managed to work her into my speech on the fly.  It was a wonderful night.  Unfortunately as it was a Sunday night, when the staff started to clear the tables for dancing, everyone thought it was over and left.  That left BHE, the two gifts, Marvelous Miss M, me and the staff to party away the night.  A good time was had by all!

The Sales Conference:

Another roaring success!  I won the Leadership Award for Marketing.  This one is called the “big” award as it’s not always handed out, and they asked me to make a speech, in front of my 500 closest friends and colleagues!  I was very kind in my speech, thanking my bosses for their guidance, leadership, and trust to run my categories.  I thanked basically everyone I worked with from R&D to sales, to the support crew.  I was complimented and some of my US colleagues were emailing me congrats during the speech.  It was a great night.  

There was also the fair share of drama from my team.  TCW had thrown her back out and ended up in the hospital seeking pain meds.  She even was carried off the plane back in Toronto and hospitalized.  She blew off work for a couple of days then went on her vacation, she’s is the longest, slowest train wreck I’ve ever seen.  Another coworker had strep throat, my new coworker was a complete ditz, and the sales guys were warring with one another.  So much drama for supposed adults!

The honeymoon:

Honestly, I could live there, rather happily.  BHE and I agreed we should just send for the gifts and stay there.  The people were warm and friendly, the weather was mostly good.  Okay, it did rain a few times, but it’s Scotland for crying out loud, what do you expect?  The food was amazing, I ate seafood for 11 days, breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I’m so bummed you can’t get smoked haddock here easily!  I have to find it as I HAVE to make cullin skink!  The scenery was EPIC and the whisky was flowing, really, what more could you ask for. 

Now it’s back to reality.  I’m back to work, BHE is back on nights, and I’ve got the gifts this week, so I’m playing catch up on single mom week; not the easiest thing in the world.  We brought souvenirs back for the gifts, family, friends, some of my coworkers in an attempt to share some of the land we love so much with some of the people we love!

We’re back into the routine of cleaning litter boxes and rat cages, trying to catch up on laundry.  Doing dinner while watching AFV, ensuring the iPad Mini’s are fully charged for the next day at daycare.  It’s a slow process returning to normal life, so I’m trying to be as gentle as possible on all of us.

This upcoming weekend, we’re hoping to go to the drive in with friends, let’s hope the weather holds out.  

WAIIIIIIIIIIIIT

Seriously, I need to slow down and catch my breath.  Things seem to be happening so quickly and life is just FLYING by.  I guess that’s what happens when you’re having fun, but it’s leaving me a tad breathless.  In less than two weeks I have my big wedding reception.  I’ve been reaching out to the caterer and the event manager, trying to tie up all the loose ends and I’m starting to feel a bit frantic.  I wanted to get the little gifts to try on their outfits last weekend, but as the weekend went by in a blur, that didn’t happen.  Crap, I still have to reach out to the butter tart place and order 100 butter tarts … and someone still needs shoes.  ARGH!  I know I’m forgetting something else ….

Right after the event, I have to get on a plane and fly to Arizona for an annual work conference.  There’s a lot of schmoozing and I have to train the sales team on the new products along with train my new coworker on the products she’ll be taking over … and I’m going to put together that presentation when???

After that, I feel like I can finally breathe.  I can’t wait to touch down in Glasgow, feel my spirit take a big sigh of relief as I return to the motherland.  I can’t WAIT to spend 11 days straight, uninterrupted by life, and work, and kids with the love of my life.  I’m looking forward to seeing Skye and sampling local fare. 

The other thing is also what I’m dreading.  I hate drama, I hate confrontation (honestly, who really likes that stuff?).  I want it all to be laughter and fun times, but I’m still nervous about my mother and the wedding reception.  Best case scenario is that she calls (or more likely emails) the day before that she’s not feeling well, that her back has gone out, that for one of a thousand reasons she can’t make it.  Worst case scenario is that somehow she actually does show up, and she pisses me off with one of her thousand nasty comments on my special day.  She’s never met my maid of honour (who is transgender) and I’m terrified she’s say something completely asinine.  I’m worried that she’ll say something mean to me and finally my darling husband will tell her off.  I don’t want her to ruin my day, I wish she was happy for me, involved in my life, helpful with the wedding, but she never has been, so there’s no chance she’ll start now.

I know I shouldn’t worry about things that are beyond my control.  My amazing husband loves me to the moon and back and will ALWAYS have my back.  The little gifts are over the moon excited about taking a ride in a limo.  We all can’t WAIT to see Auntie Michaela and Uncle Jeremy as we’ve missed them so much lately.  It’s going to be a wonderful day, and I’m trying not to let one person sabotage it.  I know the only one who truly can blow it is me, so I need to chill, make a list, mark things off, delegate, get shit done and look forward to the honeymoon.

Easier said than done.

Sigh!

I still can’t wrap my head around it.

Admittedly I try to be a positive person, but I had the wind taken out of my sails this week by family.  My darling husband and I, who ran off to Vegas to get married, are finally having our Wedding Reception this June.    I had intended to have our reception on the last Sunday in June, but then work threw a wrench into my plans.  Our annual sales meeting got pushed back, clashing with the wedding, so I spoke to my darling husband and the venue we booked and we were able to move it up a week. 

I was at my mother’s in February, celebrating my sister’s birthday when I happened to mention a date change.  “oh hey guys, we had to move the date to the 21^st, and that happens to be father’s day”.  Immediately my brother-in-law was angry, “well that’s not going to work, can you move it to Saturday”.   Ummmm WTF?  My sister pipes in with “that’s our annual father’s day BBQ for his father, and he takes it very seriously”.  I’m shocked, I asked “can’t you do the BBQ on Saturday?”  My sister mumbles “I’ll see what we can do.”  I was surprised, I mean I get it, Father’s day is a big day, but surely his father would understand that a WEDDING takes priority.

So I went about setting up the event, sending out invitations and I got a scathing email from my mother.  She’s disappointed in me, that I wouldn’t move the date; that I’m being selfish.  I was floored.  This from the woman who said my Vegas wedding was tacky, that we left her out by running off to Vegas; this from the woman that EVERY TIME I make an effort to invite her up, she usually declines.  When my sister had her son (younger than both my two gifts) my mother posted to facebook of “I finally have a grandson”.  Who constantly complained about me going to my former in-laws to look after my boys when I needed help (because they would move heaven and earth to do so) the first time I asked my mother, she thought it would be better to have the 4 year old and 7 year old in the house while their father moved out (so I went back to the former in-laws and again they came to the rescue).  I’ve spoken about these incidents to a close group of friends on line and one of them posted “you’re just not a priority for them (meaning my mother and sister)” and the truth of that hit me like a wrecking ball.

So my brother in law isn’t coming, and I told my sister while I’m baffled at the extreme importance of Father’s Day for her family, I would never ask her to choose between me and her husband.  She should choose her husband, because if the roles were reversed, I would choose my husband in a heartbeat.  I also emailed my mother asking if she’d like me to help arrange a ride for her or if she’ll be opting out as well.   They keep telling me I’m only thinking of myself, that I’m being selfish, and they’re making me question myself.  I think of myself as a “do anything for family & friends” type of person, I don’t just help them move, I’d help them move a body, but to get treated like this, but those who are supposed to love you and be there for you no matter what … it’s heartbreaking.

Change in plans ... VEGAS BABY!

As I may have mentioned, I've been looking forward to my wedding in 2015.  Well, I just couldn't wait and LML (Love of My Life) and I ran off to Vegas and got married on Nov 7th 2014.  We'd been planning the Vegas trip since it coincided with a work trip of mine, and we just couldn't resist telling people we "ran off to Vegas and got married by Elvis".

Yes, it's just too cool.
http://youtu.be/9ED9gKkuF9Y
We even live streamed it on the web.  As Michelle said, it's the first wedding she's attended where being drunk and in her PJ's wouldn't be awkward.

I wouldn't have done it any other way.  <3 font="">

Wait, who stole September?!?!?!?

What do you mean it’s been a whole month since I’ve blogged?  CRAP, sorry ‘bout that …. I’ve been kinda busy!

It’s been another crazy month.  My birthday month was awesome; that’s right, after 35 you’re eligible to claim the ENTIRE month as your birthday and celebrate appropriately.  September flew by in a flurry of activity.  My long-lost friend Michelle and I reconnected.  We had a falling out about 7 years ago, and finally allowed the water to flow under the bridge and caught up.  It was good, another mistake from my past corrected.  Another long time friend FINALLY came home from her worldly travels and came up for the weekend.  The lil gifts charmed her to the point she almost stole them both on her way out the door.  She met LML and approved, good thing as she’s my maid of honour at the wedding.

Lately work though, has been absolutely insane.  I’m launching 60 new items, transitioning 4 entire brands to improve profitability, and working on half a dozen different marketing projects.  There’s ZERO mucking about and wasting time at work right now.  I have to keep the smile plastered to my face while sales people blow their lids, warehouse people lose shipments, coworkers ignore request … so I’ll just tell them what I think as I walk by!