A Saturday Without Pictures

Yesterday Bo and I took full advantage of the "holiday" status of our long weekend.  Since tropical storms are predicted for today and Monday (apparently Beryl is headed our way), we figured that we better make the most of our Saturday together.  Although I did teach one yoga class in the morning, I was done by noon and had the rest of the day to dedicate to family.

Since Lola has finished receiving all of her shots, she is eligible to visit the local dog parks.  With it being her first visit to any sort of public park with other dogs around, Bo and I figured that it would be best to wait until we could go together.  So yesterday, around 2:00PM, Bo, Lola, and I piled into the Subaru and headed to(!):

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera.

I don't have any pictures from Lola's first day at the dog park.

I don't have any pictures of her first experience swimming.  

I'm a bad puppy mommy, and I know it.  

Total bummer.  

Oh well.

Poochies is just a little over four miles from our house, and came recommended by our veterinarian.  When we arrived, there were about half a dozen other dogs around, and Lola was more than ready to jump right in!  She seemed to get along with most of the dogs, even though she was clearly the smallest dog there.  What Bo and I discovered is that Lola is very reactive to the temperament and behavior of other dogs.  For instance, here are a few examples of Lola's reactions to other dogs at Poochies:

• Amped-Up: Lucky is an adolescent Golden Labrador that was rescued by an older gentleman one day before he was euthanized.  He is very playful - sometimes to the point of antagonization - and quite hyper.  In response, Lola played right along, becoming a bit atangonizing to Lucky (i.e. jumping in his face, playful biting, etc.), and getting a little more amped up than Bo and I like.

After a few minutes, Bo and I separated Lola and Lucky by taking her to the other side of the lake.

• Cool, Calm, and Collected: Bo is a 5 year-old Golden Labrador.  He is calm, playful, and respectful.  He is well trained, quickly responds to his owner, and loves to swim!  In response, Lola and Bo played great together.  She stayed calm, immediately responded to Bo and I's commands, and got over her fear of the water by following Bo and jumping right in after the toys!  I can't believe our little girl knows how to swim...she was a natural!

We let Lola play with Bo until he went home.  They were great play buddies!

• NOT Friends: Lola only had one somewhat scary run-in with another dog.  Although we didn't catch his name, Lola was sniffing a new dog to the park when he lunged at her, started trying to bite her, and pinned her on her back in the sand.  Needless to say I immediately started yelling to Bo to pick Lola up and GET. HER. OUT. of that situation!  After a few scratches of his own, Bo picked Lola up, immediately put her on her leash, and moved to the other side of the lake.  This particular dog also had a few run-ins with other dogs...he doesn't seem to play well with others.  Lola, on the other hand, seemed totally confused by what happened.  She looked at me as if she were saying, "Mom, I was just smelling him!"

There were several other dogs with which Lola built a rapports, but they all seemed to fall into one of the aforementioned categories.  In the end, the most valuable things that Bo and I learned is to choose your friends wisely...even if they are puppy friends.  After all, friends set an example, even for Lola.

After an hour and a half, we were all three tired, incredibly dirty, and ready to come home.  First things first, we gave Lola a bath, and then Bo and I got spruced up for a night out on the town to celebrate our first anniversary (a couple of days early since most restaurants are closed on Monday, Memorial Day - our actual anniversary).  Bo kept his plans a secret, so I was pleasantly surprised when we pulled up to Orsay in Avondale, FL.  I didn't quite know what to expect, but the swanky and modern restaurant looked as if it were bound to please both the palate and the senses.

And man oh man was I right!

Can you believe it?!

I left my camera at home AGAIN.  

ARGH!

Enough said.

Upon being seated in our corner two-person table, we were immediately greeted by our exceptional server and two glasses of champagne (on the house, mind you)!  From then on, everything was perfection from:

• our appetizer featuring local farmer's produce, to;
• Bo's Cucumber Jalapeno martini, to;
• my Hey Jealousy martini, to;
• our shared salad with Champagne Vinaigrette, to;
• Bo's succulent pork chop entree and my vegan Bouillabase, to;
• my trio of sorbets and Bo's blueberry shortcake; and
• the perfect cup of decaf coffee.

Everything was truly exceptional.  

The food.  

The drinks.  

The ambiance.  

The service.  

The priceless time with my husband.

I could not have asked for a more perfect anniversary...and I haven't even gotten my gift yet (Bo says I have to wait until Monday for that...hehehe)!

Next time - This particular book left me dumbfounded and speechless.  I hope that tomorrow's book review will encourage you to head to your nearest bookstore, or library, and snatch it up!  It's a great book for readers of all ages, particularly those that would like to take a closer look at the blessings and faults of our human nature.

Question of the Day:


How do you like to celebrate your anniversary (i.e. With a trip? Gift-giving? Sports event? Concert? Gourmet meal?)?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Celebrating Emily and Henry's "I Do's"

Hello Everyone!  I apologize for another loooong absence on the blog.  I fully intended to get this post out to you yesterday, until I experienced some unforeseen technical issues.  Specifically, our computer decided to stop recognizing the cable to my camera (insert hair-pulling here!), and therefore I couldn't transfer any of the photographs from my camera onto the computer.  After all, what good is a post about a wedding when you don't have any pictures to show for it?!

My point exactly.

The good news is that that genius husband of mine figured out the glitch.  So here I am, finally getting around to sharing my amazing weekend celebrating Emily and Henry's wedding!

Emily and I have been friends for over six years, and she is one of my dearest friends.

Although it wasn't always that way...

Emily and I met in 2006 at a job interview with the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS).  The interview took place in Washington D.C. (where the NSCS headquarters are located) over a two-day period.  We were assigned to the same hotel room for the weekend, and we immediately disliked one another.  I would go as far as saying that we each found the other annoying, unlikable, snooty, and self-absorbed.

Not the best start to a life-long friendship, right?!

About a month later, we were both hired as one-year interns with NSCS.  As a component of our employment, we would be living together in a house in Washington D.C. (in addition to four other interns) for a year.  It took a number of months before our dislike and frigidity towards one another began to thaw, but once it started, the warming up to one another happened quickly.  Ironically, over a few glasses of wine, Emily and I realized that we had A LOT in common:

• we were both book-worms;
• grew up dancing and - in particular - loved to salsa; 
• held similar religious and moral beliefs; and
• had aspirations of attending graduate school and staying in the D.C. area.

Upon the conclusion of our internship with NSCS, Emily and I decided to move into an apartment in Greenbelt, MD (she got a job at George Washington University and I enrolled in graduate school at the University of Maryland, College Park).  Talk about a relationship 180!


In spite of a few hiccups, mess-ups, mix-ups, and all-out snaffus, everyone had an awesome time celebrating Emily and Henry's wedding this past weekend.  The festivities officially started on Thursday evening with the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner!  Emily provided us all with miniature sombreros.  Here's a picture of the three bridesmaids together:

From left to right: Shelbi, me, Michelle

Before flying into town for Emily's wedding, I had only heard about Shelbi and Michelle.  Having never met them in person before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  But I must say, the three of us totally "clicked."  We got along famously well, and within an hour of our introductions were laughing, joking around, snapping photos, and acting like life-long friends.  It must say something wonderful about Emily if all of her dearest and best friends instantly get along so well.

Through the course of the weekend, not only did I get to celebrate Emily and Henry, but I felt like I made two new great girlfriends too!

Emily's mom, Ceci, really knew how to rock her sombrero!  Her take on the style reminded me of the "fascinators" Kate Middleton and all the English ladies wear. :)

By the way, don't Emily and Ceci favor one another?! 

Here is a pic of Emily with her mother and father (Ceci and Hal).  What a cute bunch these three were!

The Rhineberger clan with its newest addition: Henry!

Henry is from Peru (he has been living and working as an electrician in the United States for over a decade). Although his father and brother were unable to make it, several members of Henry's Peruvian family were able to make the trip to the states for his big day.  Most importantly, his mother - Teresa - was present.

Top Row: Henry, Emily, Dioselinda, Delmiro
Bottom Row: Teresa, Candida

Henry and Emily worked together to give "thank you" speeches and gifts to their parents and the bridal party.  Henry was nervous to give his speech in English (according to Emily, he had been practicing it for weeks), but he did a wonderful job! 

For Teresa, Emily and Henry bought a large vase and had a family tree painted upon it.  The tree included all of the names of the Carrasco (Henry's last name) family, and added Emily to it as well.

Needless to say, Teresa cried.

For her parents, Emily wrote, illustrated, and published a book.  She read it aloud to the guests, and I would dare to say that there wasn't a dry eye in the room upon its conclusion.  Sniff...sniff...sniff...

On Friday morning, all of the ladies woke up early and headed to the salon.  The entire bridal party got both their hair and nails done for the evening's big event.  Although we all looked great, Emily outshone us all (as she should have).  Her hair alone was stunning!  It took almost 90 minutes to create and was a piece of art in its own right!

Simply.  Gorgeous.

After a quick bite to eat, all the ladies returned to the hotel to see that our flowers had been delivered.  The orange bouquets were for the bridesmaids, whereas the rose arrangement was a gift to Emily from her soon-to-be husband.  The bouquet included a note that said: "I can't wait to meet you at the altar.  I love you, Henry."

Swoon.

And then it was time to get dressed!  

It took Emily a long time to find her perfect dress (one that she could salsa dance in), but in the end she found the PERFECT wedding gown!  Not only would this dress be great for dancing, but it fit Emily's fun and outgoing personality to a tee!

Being the cutie-pie that she is, Emily's "something blue" were lace biker shorts underneath her dress.  Don't you think that is a fun twist on tradition?!

Although I have purposely chosen to focus on all of the positive aspects of the wedding celebration in this post, there were NUMEROUS things that went awry over the weekend.  By far the most stressful/unexpected/hilarious was when Shelbi's zipper burst FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE THE CEREMONY started!

I will never forget how it happened.  

As the bridal party was sitting in a quiet room, sipping on champagne, and awaiting the wedding planner's cue to line-up, Shelbi looked over at me and said:

"Ally, I think we have a problem."

"What?" I said.

Shelbi turned around in her chair until her back was facing me.

Immediately I see a hook-and-eye tenuously holding up her dress.

Her back...and leopard print thongs...are fully exposed.

And Shelbi has a look of pure horror on her face.

This shot was taken AFTER we pinned a napkin inside her dress.

Sad face. :(

In the midst of frantically trying to fix the unexpected dress situation, Michelle and I tried to keep both Emily and Shelbi calm.  While flexing our creative muscles and trying to come up with a workable solution for our wardrobe malfunction, we also snapped photos to capture the moment.  In the end, we found a napkin almost the same color as Shelbi's dress, folded it into a large rectangle, and pinned it onto the outside of her dress.

Keep in mind, the only thing actually holding up Shelbi's dress was a single hook-and-eye closure.  With the dress being strapless, as it was, she had practically no support in the dress.

Ta-Da!

Somehow.  

Someway.  

By some amazing stroke of luck. 

Shelbi's dress didn't fall down or totally burst open during the ceremony or pictures.  Regardless, once all the formal pictures were complete, Shelbi, Michelle, and I rushed to the bathroom, cut her out of the dress, and Shelbi changed clothes.  WHEW - she made it!

Afterwards, we all headed into the reception tent just in time to see the bride and groom make their grande entrance and cut the rug in their first salsa dance as a married couple!

Just look at those hips move!

Emily's dress was PERFECT for dancing!  

Every time she swayed...or turned...or twirled...the dress moved with her.  It looked great!

Emily and Hal together in their Father/Daughter Dance.

Henry and Teresa in their Mother/Son Dance.

You can't really tell in any of my pictures, but Teresa's dress was both perfect and stunning for the occasion. She really looked lovely.

Towards the end of the evening, Emily and Henry cut the cake.  They were both very nice to one another while feeding them a piece...no icing or cake in the face! :)

All of the weddings I have recently attended have really brought my mind back to my own wedding day.  It is hard - if not practically impossible - to believe that Bo and I will have been married for a year on this upcoming Monday, May 28th.

WOW.  

I guess the saying really is true: "Time flies when you're having fun!"

Question of the Day:


Have you ever met a friend of a friend and instantly "clicked"?  

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Martin/Curley Wedding

Last Friday and Saturday Bo and I were honored to join in on Matthew and Jamie's marriage celebration.  And what an awesome celebration it was!  Matthew and Jamie (and their friends and family) really know how to throw - and enjoy - a good party.  With that said, their wedding was one of the most fun and enjoyable that I have attended in quite some time.

Before getting to the nitty gritty of the weekend, let me give you a little bit of background:

Since Day 1, Matthew and Bo were roommates at the United States Naval Academy (USNA).  Over the four years that they attended the Academy, Matthew and Bo became great friends.  Through heartbreak, overwhelming stress, and extreme frustration, Matthew and Bo were always there for each other.  In truth, they were perfect roommates.  Bo has a tendency to get a little too serious at times, and Matthew has a tendency to have a little too much fun at times.  Together, they balanced each other out perfectly.

Matthew and Jamie started dating while he was at USNA.  Matthew is a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO), and he and Jamie are stationed at Virginia Beach, VA (although they are moving to Hawaii in a couple of months).  They have already made it through one seven-month deployment, and during that time it was clear that Jamie is an amazingly strong and dedicated woman.  As all military wives do, she has given up quite a bit to be with the love of her life.  But in talking to her, as with most military spouses, you immediately realize that she is happy to make the necessary sacrifices in order to be with Matthew.  They are a strong, inspiring couple who's intense love for one another is infectious!

I hope that all of my friends and family find that kind of love in their lifetime...I did! :)

On Friday evening, Bo and I attended the rehearsal dinner.  The event was held at Buddy's Crab & Ribs, a landmark restaurant located in downtown Annapolis (DTA).

Although there were a number of people for him to visit, the groom-to-be took some time to chat with us and snap a few pictures.  (Look at that tan...I'm jealous!)

Afterwards, a large portion of the rehearsal dinner crowd gathered together in DTA for a group shot!

The next day, after revisiting USNA and getting ready for the big event, we gathered in the USNA Chapel for the ceremony.  Although my camera wasn't fancy enough to overcome the dark lighting and distance, I was able to catch a glimpse of the beautiful bride walking down the aisle with her brother (Jamie's father is, sadly, deceased).

Darn it!  I really wish my I could have gotten a better shot of the bride and groom during the ceremony.  They were glowing!

Oh well, these will have to do...

Upon the ceremonies conclusion, Bo and several of Matthew's other USNA buddies performed the infamous sword arch (Come on, you know the one!  I KNOW you have seen or heard of this before!).

They marched out in unison...

...lined up...

...raised their swords...

...and demanded a kiss in exchange for passage!

In line with tradition, Matthew and Jamie had to kiss at every sword arch in order to receive passage down the stairway.  One swordsman even made them kiss twice, admonishing that the first one wasn't a "real kiss" hahaha!

The incredibly happy couple!

Here's a look at all of the swordsman with the groom's mother and father .  Matthew's mother is a hoot!  She has so much personality...can't you tell?! ;)

Since the reception was approximately a half hour away from USNA, most of the guests rode in a bus from one place to the other.

 Bo and I at the reception chatting about something that was obviously very serious...perhaps how many glasses of wine we should drink?! ;)

Pose-perfect...although, I actually prefer good candid shots!

Note: I bought this dress with my mom at an antique store here in JAX.  Truly, I should have been born in the 1940's or 1950's.  Not only do I love that periods music and movies, but the fashion was MADE for my body-type!

While the bridal party was busy taking pictures, the guests started enjoying the food, drinks, and scenery.  I have to say, most weddings that I have been to don't have great food.  But this food was delicious.  Everything from the appetizers, to the main course, and the cake was really really tastey.   Well chosen Matthew and Jamie!

First dance...awwww!

And then, everybody got the party started!  As the Black Eyed Peas would say:

Everybody, everybody, let's get into it.

Get stupid.

Get it started, get it started, get it started.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Yeah.

Note: If you don't know the song "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas you might want to look it up on You Tube.  I will be referencing it quite a bit for the remainder of this post.  It is a great song for a party!

And again:

Everybody, everybody, let's get into it.

Get stupid.

Get it started, get it started, get it started.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Yeah.

C'mon y'all, let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here)

Let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here)

Let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here) Ow, ow, ow!

Photo-op (I wish the lighting was better...this would have been a great picture)!

All the single ladies saying: "If you like it then you better put a ring on it!" 

(And yes, I am aware that I just quoted Beyonce.)

Matthew doing a jig before hunting for Jamie's garter...this was PRICELESS!  

I SO wish my camera had a "video record" button!

All the boys vying for the garter...although I can't tell...do they all want it...or are they all desperately trying to avoid it?!

Everybody, everybody, let's get into it.

Get studio. (Come on)

Get is started (come on), get it started (yeah), get it started.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started

(woah, woah, woah) in here.

Yeah.

Let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here)

Let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here)

Let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here) Ow, ow, ow!

It was a great wedding, and an even. better. party...can't you tell?!

Coming up - more wedding adventures, but next time we will be celebrating Emily and Henry!

Question of the Day:


What is your favorite part about weddings?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo