The Big Year

I'm still here!  I do believe this has been the longest I have not blogged.  Wow and sorry for the absence. 

Well, so much has happened this year.  The new house, the farm, the wedding, it has been crazy.

I only have a handful of photos from our wedding but the rest will be finished soon.  A close friend took our photos as a wedding gift!  I wanted to keep the wedding affordable and we did.  Around $5,000 for the whole thing.  Not bad at all.  We spent money on the wedding tent which included all tables, chairs, linens, lights and dance floor.  Food and drink.  Plates and utensils which were all compostable.  My dress and Andrews Suit.  The D.J..  Cake and Bartender.  And last but not least, two bathrooms.

My dress was custom made for me by a wonderfully talented friend.  We used pieces from my grandmother and great grandmothers wedding dresses.  Plus, an antique Victorian skirt and some other found materials.  I think it turned out beautifully.  If only I hadn't gained weight throughout the summer.  Turns out I'm a stress eater.

These guys, let me tell ya!  I have had the pleasure of laughing at their shenanigans for over 10  years.  Each one has a heart of gold.  From left to right: Kevin, Devon, Andrew, Jared, Kevin and Josh.

 Shelly, in the green dress, is my maid of honor.  I met here when we around 8 years old.  All these wonderful girls have been in my life since we were children and I can't imagine life without them. The girls got to pick their own color and dress and these aren't bridesmaid dresses.  Just regular dresses they can wear again.  My cousin did our hair too.  From left to right:  Ella, Nicole, Mandy, Me, Shelly and Tanya.

 

My most prized photos are the group shots of the entire reception party.  They put a big smile on my face. Even our high school principle and his wife are with us.  I recommend getting one of these during your wedding if you can.  See if you can spot my moms small, crowd surfing dog in the upper shot.

 

The farming went great too.  It was hard though since I worked full time from June through August.  I managed to take bouquets to the market for about two months.  I could have gone longer but I wanted to be done this this year.  The flowers did really well.  There were some failures however.  Zinnias were horribly diseased so I only harvested them for the wedding but that was worth it. 

 

The vegetables did great except for the tomatoes, broccoli, and zucchini.  Disease and bugs, ugh.  At least I know what I have to do next year.

 

We still have tons to do.  I have to wait for a few more good days to get some plants into the ground.  Pushing it a bit late, I know.  I'm a procrastinator, so instead of using the beautiful days of September and October to work, I'm now stuck with November.  There is snow on the ground today!  Learn as I go, I guess.

 

I have some folks interested in my flowers for weddings next year and a few other sales opportunities as well.  I'll be working part time off the farm so I will have more time next year.  Thank goodness!