Back to the Grind

Home again, home again, and back to work for both of us. On John's side of things, rehearsals are being scheduled, searches are ongoing for vacant assistantships, thesis planning is well underway and church music is being planned. On Kathleen's, policy is being written, and re-written and re-written again. Choir practices for both of us will kick off next week.

The kittens are in good form, and little Samson (soon to be Phloyd) will be off to his new home in a little more than a week. Then it will just be Sarah and Delilah settling into what we hope will be many years of good health and companionship. And oh yes, Sarah has a trip to the vet upcoming... HUZZAH! She was in heat when we got back to Edmonton and the yowling was almost unbearable. But we love her anyway. Cat-nip from Ontario has been a huge hit!

We're also hoping to get back into some of our wedding planning in the next few weeks - it's time to secure a DJ and start thinking about flowers. Our online wedding to-do list tracker tells us that we have 106 things left to do before the wedding and only 3 of them are overdue, so that's not too bad. (The internet is a marvelous thing.) Just over 10 months to go!

Halfway Home!

After approximately 2,200 KM, we have reached just over the halfway mark of our journey back to Edmonton, when the “real world” or work and choir season preparation will take up the majority of our time. So far on this journey, we have had miraculous weather. With the exception of a two minute thunder storm outside of Kenora Ontario (see photo) it has been sunny all the way across, and promises to continue to be sunny through to Edmonton. We’ve made an early stop in Winnipeg, enjoying a comfortable stay at the Fairmont Hotel, with a great view of Portage and Main Street. We plan to sleep in a little and decide enroute tomorrow if it will be a stop in Regina, or Saskatoon for the last night of the trip.
Looking forward to seeing our Edmonton family and friends on Monday!

Ottawa Holiday Almost Over

Yesterday's Ottawa adventure included a beautiful trip up the Gatineau Hills to Champlain Lookout, with stops at Meech Lake (yes, THAT Meech Lake) and Kingsmere. The Ottawa Valley and the edge of the Canadian Shield stretching out below is a breathtaking sight. Who needs the Rocky Mountains anyway?!

After 5 straight days of friends, family, food and wine, we will be hitting the road tomorrow morning for the long trip back to Edmonton. Our goal will be Sault Ste. Marie tomorrow night, then Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and then Edmonton. Goals for the trip include deciding on a colour scheme for the wedding! Thank you to everyone in Ottawa for taking such good care of us - we look forward to seeing you all again soon... hopefully, in July 2007, in Edmonton!

Engagment Party in Ottawa

Late Thursday evening, Kathleen landed in Ottawa. After a night of sleep, and then a morning of backyard clean-up and party preparation, we were ready to welcome guests for our engagement party, hosted by John's Parents.

Throughout the day, 25 people descended on the home of Jim and Peggy Brough. The evening featured swimming, eating, drinking, a raccoon, some beautiful gifts and lots and lots of laughter. Highlights included watching the three babies – Katie, Keira and Santina – playing with each other and stealing the show. John’s sister Jen baked two beautiful cakes, seen here, to celebrate the engagement. The party also provided a good opportunity to ask John’s Aunt Celia and Uncle Ricky to read the Prayers at the wedding, and his Aunt Lani and Uncle Stanley to carry tapers in the wedding procession, joining Kathleen's Uncle Jim, who will be carrying the cross. It was great to see everyone and get a chance to enjoy everyone’s company – a definite sign of the fun to come in the next year!

End of an Era

So, three of our little kittens went off on new adventures this week, and moved in with their new families. Puah (now Sally), Micah and Isaac (Charlie and Tommy) will be much loved in their new homes, and we are looking forward to hearing about their progress and seeing pictures of their growth. We have loved having them and will miss them very much!

And Bridesmaids too!

And last week, the bridesmaids fell into place as well! All three represent the nearest and dearest of the bride's friends. Last summer, Kathleen was the Maid of Honour for her friend Norma Rodenburg, and now the tables have turned!! Norma will be standing up as the Matron of Honour for our wedding. The bridesmaids will be best-roommate-ever Sarah Graham, and the lovely Elly McHan, who is threatening to hitchhike up from Dubuque, Iowa for the wedding.

Let this be the first of many many thanks to our six attendants for agreeing to stand up with us for this celebration! We couldn't be more excited to have you with us. :)

Groomsmen list complete!

Yesterday in Ottawa, at the Christening of Keira Darby Inniss, who is Mathew and Kerrie’s seven month old baby (Kerrie is John’s first cousin), John was able to secure the final two groomsmen. Kevin Lennon, John’s cousin (left) and Andrew Nicholls, John’s Brother-in-law (right) have agreed to stand alongside best man Eric Jackson (John’s Friend) to support John during the special day!

Number Crunching

Days before the Wedding = 328
Number of Dreams the Bride has had about it = 3

Ottawa!

3,560 KM - 250 transport trucks past, four nights in some of the country’s "finest" Travelodge hotels, four Tim Horton's breakfasts, countless gas station bathrooms, two CFL football stadiums, and the world's longest foot suspension bridge crossed (600 feet of pure terror) ... Eric and I have arrived in Ottawa. Now I just have to wait another 7 days before Kathleen arrives so we can celebrate our engagement with my family. The photo is a stretch of the northern Ontario Trans Canada Highway just outside of Sudbury Ontario.

Eleven Months and Counting

So, as of today, we are eleven months away from our wedding day, and feeling pretty good about where we are with the plans. A wedding dress has been purchased, and should arrive in about 5 months or so. The deposit has been put on the reception hall, so we can turn our thoughts to the menu and other details. In the next month or so, it would be nice to get the rest of the big decisions made before John sits down in earnest to write The Thesis. We are having such fun putting this day together. Keeping in mind the overarching themes of family, friends, food and laughter makes doing anything but smiling impossible.

The Map!

If you would like to see where John and Eric are on the road this week - you can see minute by minute where they are ... depending what time zone they are in at the time. Click here for the map and driving directions.

Wedding Party Hits the Road

Last night, Eric (John’s friend from Ottawa, and recently named “Best Man”) arrived in Edmonton to visit for a few days, and to accompany John back to Ottawa by car. They will be leaving Sunday afternoon, stopping in each Capital city along the way (Regina and Winnipeg), and then stopping in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie before arriving in Ottawa on Thursday August the 10th. Kathleen will be arriving in Ottawa a week later on the 18th where John’s family will host the first Engagement Party for us. We will post pictures, and blog entries from Ottawa, and if possible, John will send some update from the road on the way down. Also, as promised, here is a picture of a kitten. Here is one of the two white Siamese cats from the litter, Delilah.

See you in Ottawa!

Ceremony

There ceremony is, naturally, the part of our wedding day about which we are most excited. We are being married at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, where Kathleen's mother is the Rector (and will perform the service). In fact, we met in the church choir (John is the Music Director). We both have a love of liturgy, and are looking forward to showcasing the elements of the Anglican service that have been a part of both our lives for many years and of which we are particularly fond. Those include a full eucharist, a big procession, and as much music as we can squeeze in! Our hope is that it will be a meaningful and profound experience for all in attendance!