The Newly Wedded Mrs. Lindsay of Green

It's a good thing blogging isn't my job, because my work ethic would be seriously questioned. :) To say the least, everything "extracurricular" in my life was put on hold when wedding planning went into full swing—around the end of January (and also, oddly, the time I bought my dress, did that make it official!?). But, August 6th came and went like any normal day does, and on the other side, I am calling myself Mrs. Green. It feels pretty freaking awesome to be married. Another awesome feeling? NO WEDDING PLANNING! Aside from a batch of Thank You notes, waiting for our pictures and video and planning our honeymoon, life after wedding is blissfully dull.

Our special day was just beautiful. It was so surreal that everything that I planned came together to make a wonderful day that I'll remember forever. Our colors were dark green and bright yellow, to represent the Oregon Ducks and the college were we met and fell in love. Aside from our family, we had people from all periods of our lives—Sisters and Malta High, the U of O, and Chicago. Our ceremony was held on the first tee of Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in Monterey, and our reception was inside the restaurant there—Balesteri's. The flowers, the arch and chair cover rentals, the food, our choreographed dance and everything that I had spent countless hours planning for months had finally come together! And I really did enjoy every minute of it!

There were a few hitches—the biggest being that the videographer got stuck in traffic coming from San Jose and missed the ceremony, but luckily I have a family that is religious about bringing video cameras with them everywhere, so our ceremony did get recorded. It's a good thing, because I was on a cloud the whole time and need to be able to watch it again to really take it in, I think. But, all wedding days have their hitches and I was so glad that for the most part, everything went as it should. We even go to extend the fun a bit by celebrating with another reception in my husband's hometown of Malta, Montana. It was great to visit with his family and see the people who couldn't make it all the way to Cali for the wedding. I am sharing some pics below taken by Steven's family. Hopefully we'll have the professional ones soon! I'll be sure to post everything on Facebook once I get the chance.

Mr. and Mrs. Steven Green!

Our crazy, beautiful wedding party.

My husband and I at the reception in Malta, Montana the weekend after our wedding (how cool is that cake?).

And so, now I'm a newlywed-- the newly wedded Mrs. Lindsay Kelly Green. It doesn't really seem like much has changed, but I get super excited every time I think about it. Marriage is going to be an adventure, the next step in our lives! We'll have our very first adventure as a married couple when we head to Hawaii on the 3rd of September for our Honeymoon! It feels so weird going to back to normal life after that humongous occasion, so I am so glad Steve could get some time off to head out for a whole week! We're going to Oahu for three days and Maui for three days and I plan to enjoy every minute!

So, hopefully I'll have more time now to blog with some frequency, and share all the hopes, dreams, struggles and experiences that newly wedded life throws at me. Onward… :)

A Routine for 2011

I can’t remember a time since college that I had been soooo busy. When I look back to my last blog and realize it was after Thanksgiving, I am dumbfounded at how long ago that was. Let’s recap the holidays and adventures I had just before and after:

Early December is a blur. I am not entirely even sure what I did. I know a two weekends were spent in Monterey getting a quote for flowers and making cookies. Another was spent in LA with my cousins and aunt for wedding and bridesmaid dress shopping. Major props to my cousin who has already ordered her wedding dress. I wish I could get that together, but now that things have calmed down, wedding planning should resume in full force.

For Christmas, I flew up to Oregon to spend it with my family. It was really odd not to be in Monterey and have tons of snow on the ground, but we had a really nice little Christmas with just the four of us. I saw some friends and caught up on old times, and got to spend some lazy days hanging out with the fam. Highlights of some gifts – an awesome wireless printer, first dance lessons for our wedding and an Xbox kinect, which I am in LOVE with. The Dance Central game is so fun and a really good workout as well.

I flew back down to go to work for two days that week following Christmas, and then was off until the 3rd. My parents came down to Monterey a few days later to visit. Mom and I went dress shopping, and I am really hoping I am one-step closer to finding the ONE. I’ve been in and out of so many dress shops that they are all starting to run together, but I think I have narrowed it down enough to where I am prepared to choose. I have a few more appointments and go-backs, but I am making a decision by the end of this month. I just HAVE to.

We also celebrated my 26th Birthday, which was on December 29th, by going to dinner and having Fro-Yo afterward. New Years came WAY too quickly and we celebrated at my aunt’s house. It was great to ring in the New Year with the family around.

If all that vacation time wasn’t enough, Steve and I flew to Arizona on January 6th, to attend the BCS National Championship game that following Monday. I am so, so, so sad to say that the Oregon Ducks didn’t win, but I think that we are both happy we went. We had a good time exploring, visiting friends, taking in the festivities and even hiking Camelback Mountain…which I am still tired from.

Next week will mark my first full week of work in a little under a month. I am going to have some SERIOUS vacation withdrawal. With Steve starting work at the firm next Wednesday, I imagine that our vacationing days are going to be over for a while. That really is okay with me, because it’s time that we settled into a routine—a process that I think was interrupted with the holidays and all that came after them. Losing weight, working out, eating better are all the list for the next months, and I’m going to try to force myself to make good choices and stay motivated so I can keep my self esteem up and give myself enough energy for the necessary wedding planning (and look the best I can in my engagement and wedding pictures).

So- Happy New Year! Here’s to establishing a healthy routine and making 2011 the best year yet.

It's Holiday Time!

Despite the snow and cold, Steve and I had a really great Thanksgiving in Montana. The flights all went as planned, and even the four-hour drive to his hometown from the airport was better than expected. The weather must have held out because it knew we were coming.  When I woke up on Thursday morning, my phone alerted me that it was -17 outside. Um, Brrrr. Needless to say I didn’t go outside. At all.

We had about 18 or so people for dinner, so it was a good group and much different from the last three Thanksgivings we spend on our own in Chicago. We spent the day eating, of course, and playing the Xbox Kinect the Green family had bought. It was AWESOME. I love the fact that you do not even need a controller. I totally want one now, but I am not sure we have enough room in our townhouse to make it work. You need a pretty good-sized space.

The rest of the trip was spent visiting family and being lazy. It warmed up a bit, but not enough for me to enjoy time outside. It was good to see the snow, but I was so glad to be leaving it when we got on the plane to Oakland on Sunday. Hopefully, depending on Steve’s crazy job schedule the next few years, we’ll be able to back again for the holiday.

Speaking of holiday, my family has decided to have Christmas in Oregon this year. Oregon has been my parents’ home for about 20 years, and we’ve NEVER spent a Christmas there. Not one. We’ve always gone down to Monterey to be with extended family. When I lived away, it was a tradition I insisted on, because I wanted to see my grandparents. But, since my bro can’t or doesn’t want to get work off for too long, it looks like it’s going to be a white Christmas. I find it a little odd and ironic that the year I come to Cali is the year we spend Christmas elsewhere, but that’s just how it goes. So, I bought my plane ticket and will be spending the 21st-26th in Central Oregon. There is no doubt that it’s going to be different with just the four of us. I think my parents are planning to come down for my Birthday (29th) and New Years, so they can spend some time with the grandparents and rest of the fam down here.

With all the stuff I have planned this December, I know it’s going to wiz right by. I’m looking forward to all the month has to bring!

Getting Ready for Turkey Day!

Happy almost Thanksgiving! I am only working Monday and Tuesday this week and then I’m off for a much-needed vacation. I am so ready for the holidays. I thought that it would be hard to get in the holiday spirit because, you know, it’s not 20 degrees and snowing, but I find that I am adjusting just fine. This year, for the first time since we moved from Oregon, we are going to someone else’s house for Thanksgiving. The three previous years, I have made the whole dinner for just Steve and me. It was fun, but I look forward to being with other people and, of course, not having to do all the work myself!

We’re heading to Malta, Montana to spend the long weekend with Steve’s family. I will definitely get my dose of cold there, as it’s been snowing and below freezing for a week. The trip might be rough because of the snow. The nearest airport to Steven’s hometown is about 4 hours away in Billings, MT. That means that when we fly in, we still have a looooong way to go to get to the stopping point. I just hope that it doesn’t get too nasty, because we might find ourselves in Billings for the holiday. I’m holding out hope that things go smoothly.

In other news, my Fiancé is now an official lawyer. I raced home last Friday to watch him type his credentials to the California Bar online site at 6:00 pm sharp. We had been waiting 4 months for an answer we got in three seconds: “Steven Green: This name appears on the Pass List.” The celebrations were the following—Steve relaxed in his chair, clapped his hands once and laughed. I jumped as high as I could with my fist in the air and screamed “YES!” What a HUGE relief that was to know that he didn’t have to take that horrendous test ever again. We had a low-key celebration by cracking open a bottle of Dark Lord and heading to our favorite burger joint – Jeffery’s Hamburgers – to grab dinner.

Wedding planning is coming along okay. I am using the checklist from the Knot.com and while November is a slow month, December, and the 8th month mark has a crazy amount of things to check off. I think that we’re poised for the most part, but some other decisions are just so hard to make! I think we’ve found out photographers and guitarist/DJ. I’m meeting with florists next month, and I think we’ve found a pastor who is well-enough acquainted with the family to do our ceremony. I’ve been to four more wedding dress boutiques on my own, and while that may sound lonely, I have actually grown accustomed to it. It’s like I’m weeding out all the bad places so that when I do want people to come with me, it won’t be a waste. I think I’m getting closer to finding the dress I am going to want to wear. It’s a process, and while I still have about two months, it’s the to-be-made decision weighing most on me. That and the dough that it’s going to take to get everyone and everything “reserved” for the big day. As if December wasn’t already a spendy month!

So, I’m launching into the holidays and wedding planning with full-force! Have a safe Thanksgiving!

The Two Month Mark

Next week will put us to the two-month mark since we moved from Chicago to Fremont. I can hardly believe it. We’ve been so busy already! Life is finally starting to become a familiar routine, and I think that both Steve and I have settled into our jobs, commutes and house pretty nicely. We also found a cool bar to watch our Ducks play! There all still times when we both miss city life and all of our friends in Chicago, but as we start to meet new people I think things can only get better.

We’ve visited Monterey quite a few times for various reasons. I foresee us going down there a lot more too, because since our wedding will be in Monterey, all of our vendors will be too. It’s all a bit overwhelming—meeting with photographers and DJs and all that, but I guess it has to be done. Now I just have to figure out a way to get Steve excited. I think he’s a bit overwhelmed with everything that I am throwing at him.

My mom came down from Oregon to visit us two weekends ago. It was really great to see her and show her around our new town and house. I even scheduled some wedding dress appointments, and my mom, my grandmother and I dove into the massive wedding dress search. I must confess that I was unprepared for what goes on at fittings. When I put my first dress on, made completely of satin, I seriously felt like someone had wrapped a bed comforter around me. There is SOOOO much fabric in those dresses. I am pretty sure I have never been in anything like that before in my life. It wasn’t until the second fitting where I got used to dressing up in these massively formal dresses and parading around for all to see. I’m not a dress-wearer, and never really have been. I’m not too keen on strapless dresses, but it seems that halter tops are hard to find these days, and I was discouraged from cap sleeves by my attendants at two of my fittings (not enough arm movement is allowed with them). I’m not quite sure I have found the “one” yet, but I have some good ideas of what I don’t want (satin heaviness, too much material around the stomach and bust) and what I do (chiffon, flowy, moderate beadwork).

The gym at work is pretty great. Trying the dresses on is a great motivator to lose weight, since white is NOT a forgiving color. I try to work out three days a week on my lunch break, and then Steve an I play some sort of racket sport on the weekends. It’s relatively quiet in there, save for the TV, and has all the machines and weights I need to feel like I got a good workout. I hope that I can keep it up. I’m trying to curb my bad eating habits too, but it’s soooo hard with Halloween right around the corner-- not to mention Thanksgiving, which we are spending in Montana with Steve’s family. It’s been a long time since I have been back to Malta, but I am looking forward to the vacation.

Til next time!

I know a place, where the grass is really greener!

So, I know it’s been an eternity since my last blog, but when you’re moving across the country and trying to get everything in order, something has to take a backseat.

Let’s back up a bit and hit some highlights from the last 2 ½ months.

July:
Steve took the bar exam at the end of the month. I tried not to show my anxiety and be strong for him; but it was hard. I am sure those three days of non-stop bar exam were some of the most intense of his life. If that’s not enough, we are still patiently waiting for the results to come back in mid November. MID NOVEMBER! I know a lot of kids took the CA bar, but that is just a cruel and unusual waiting period.

August:
After much prodding from me and probably his parents, Steve decided to join two of his law school friends, George and Jen, on an overseas trip to Europe. I DESPERATELY wanted to go; but big changes in management and duties at my job pretty much squashed any hope of going anywhere. Not to mention, I didn’t REALLY have the dough to fork over $1000 for a plane ticket last minute, which is when Steve decided to go. On top of all of that, I needed the days off to move out to California and wait for the movers to deliver our stuff. On the bright side, Steve had a fantastic time visiting Paris and Barcelona both he and I are glad that he went.

September:
After a few more days in Chicago after his international trip, Steve traveled to Montana to visit with his family before moving over to California for good. About a week later, after flying back to Oregon for a dear friend’s wedding, I said my many goodbyes to my Chicago co-workers and friends and boarded a plane to made my dramatic exit from Chicago.

I landed in San Jose on Sept 2nd, into the welcoming car of my Grandparents, who whisked me to their house in Monterey until Steve (who was driving his car from Montana) could get to California a few days later. We finally had our keys to a cute little two-bedroom townhouse in Fremont, California on Sunday, Sept 5th. And so began our life in the Bay Area.

Steve’s law firm job doesn’t start until January, so in the meantime, he is a law intern at a medical company in San Mateo. He started his first day on the 7th, while I enjoyed my week off of work exploring the surrounding area and waiting for the movers- who came that Wednesday. Luckily, my dad had brought us an extra bed, so we didn’t have to sleep on the hard floor waiting for our stuff!

I started work on the 13th, and am really still getting used to the new commute and office. We chose to live in Fremont because it’s a good halfway point between both of our jobs (I work in Cision's Emeryville office). Gone are the days of the bus and the train. I now have a 40 min commute in the morning, and a 50-ish min commute after work. It’s really not that bad, but I do miss the ease of getting on public transit and having someone else drive me! Luckily, everyone in the office is super nice and I am settling in here pretty well. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to work with my co-workers as well from here- but things haven’t really slowed down that much and I still feel like part of the team. Plus, I am learning more about different departments by being here!

Although I would have never thought this possible when I first moved there, I really do miss Chicago. The people, the lifestyle and even the scenery. Suburban life in Fremont is so very different. I am sure as soon as I get acclimated with my surroundings that I will begin to love Fremont life as well. Establishing a stomping ground is the most important. And, it’s so nice to have San Fran so close, so we can get a taste of Big City life whenever we want to. I also love having my extended family close. We have been down to Monterey to visit them quite a bit, and while it feels so odd right now, it’s a wonderful feeling as well.

In other news:
My brother has decided to continue his college career at my Alma Matter – University of Oregon. I know my mom is probably having a hard time with him further away now and dad still traveling down here for work, but I hope that he finds something that he likes and enjoys his first new residence outside of Central Oregon—where he has lived the majority of his life.

There is a “free” gym in my work building that people use a lot at lunch. It’s only $100 one time app fee and then free from there on out. Although it doesn’t have classes, I think I will give it a try because I really like the idea of getting to work out during lunch-- plus you can't beat the price. Then, I can just head right home without feeling guilty! If I get super bored, there are other gyms with classes close as well I can look into.

I really have to start watching what I eat now (FOR REAL), because our official wedding date is set for Aug 6, 2011 at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch (we put down the deposit two weekends ago). Now all the “fun” stuff starts-- looking for vendors, dresses, and all the little things that make a wedding special. I am determined to stay on top of it all and am so thankful my family is there to help.

Lastly, I’m taking my California drivers test this Friday. I haven’t switched my license since I got it in Oregon, but since I plan to be here for a long while, I decided to get everything squared away so I can be a real resident!

I think that’s all the big stuff since my last blog. I plan to be a bit more frequent in my blogging efforts and look forward to the road ahead!

Time to Get a Move on!

Yeesh…It’s been three weeks since my last blog. Wedding research is consuming my free time. But that’s okay, I love getting organized and planning.

Speaking of weddings, two weekends ago I left for Monterey to see my cousin Monica and her fiancé Pete get married on Carmel beach. The weather wasn’t the greatest, but the wedding was really nice and the reception that followed up the street at the La Playa hotel was really beautiful. I don’t really see my dad’s side of the family much for one reason or another, but it was fun and interesting to hang out with all of the relatives for a night.

We – my dad, mom, grandparents and me – also managed to do a TON of wedding venue sight-seeing. We checked out places in Monterey and Fremont, the two cities where Steve and I are considering getting married. I’m pretty sure that we have found a hidden gem at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch and Balesteri’s restaurant. The price is excellent and it’s SO beautiful up there. The event coordinator/cater is Susie Balesteri, and she is the nicest person that you would ever want to meet. Steve hasn’t seen the place yet, but hopefully he can visit in August sometime to see it. We are tentatively penciled in for August 6, 2011, barring Steve’s approval, but I really think that this could be the place! I’m going crazy with the Knot.com and Herecomestheguide.com looking for wedding stuff…there is so much to think about and do! I have found that using delicious.com to record and tag all my website bookmarks is the best way to keep everything together, but separate.

I also have some other VERY exciting news to share. I am going to be officially moving to the Bay Area in California on September 1st! I spoke with my supervisor, and she and the VP of my department have agreed to let me continue to do the work that I am doing here at Cision, but transfer to the Emeryville, CA office!! I could NOT be happier. I love what I am doing and to be allowed to keep my job and move really is a dream. All those years of worrying if I would ever get back to the west coast seem so far gone. I’m freaking out a little bit, because it IS July and we’ll be moving in less than two months. I haven’t even thought about packing yet, and we still need a place to live! So much to do, so little time!

Steve is still studying hard-core for the California Bar. It’s really like a job; he studies for at least 8 hours a day. I don’t know how he can manage to keep all of that legal stuff in his head at once. He takes the bar in San Mateo at the end of this month, so he’s definitely rounding the final turn. I’m trying to be helpful and encouraging, but I will be SO happy when the madness of this non-stop studying is done and we can enjoy the summer together. Hopefully a trip abroad will be in the plans!

I’ve been slacking on my gym time, but plan to change that these coming weeks, because I really don’t have anything super set in stone for now until the move. Here’s hoping that the weather shapes up a bit for the weekend!