Our Wedding PhotoBook

If we're friends on Facebook you probably know the excitement I had during the process of finally creating and finishing Spencer and I's wedding photobook! I not only posted statuses throughout the process, but I took a screen shot of each page and uploaded it to my facebook!

Well, only 3 days after ordering, I received my photobook in the mail and it is BEAUTIFUL! It turned out so much better than I even imagined it to. I am so in love with it, the memories, and the beautiful pictures of our love.

This was a very long and difficult process for me. I started working on it 3 months after we tied the knot, shortly after Spencer was admitted into the ICU. So back in September of 2011. I started piecing it together, picture by picture, during my free time when Spencer slept. As his health declined it became harder for me to go through our wedding pictures. I built up a lot of anger at our situation. It was unfair that we only got 3 months together before he got so sick, and during those three months we suffered so much grief and dispair with devastating news of his dad passing and his mother being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer.

But I was determined to finish it. I wanted Spencer's opinions and I wanted his approval of what I had put together. Mostly I just wanted to share with him the memories. To be able to look at something neatly put together and reminisce of our love on that day. I wanted so badly to finish it before anything happened to Spencer.

Being his caretaker and wife became top priority as his body continued to fail. I had less and less time to work on it, and even more-so, I just didn't have the energy to put into finishing it. Spencer wasn't up to giving me his opinions and it frustrated me. Our communication was fading with time and it wasn't worth it to fight over how a page looked in our photobook when we could be having a meaningful conversation instead.

After Spencer passed away I stopped working on it altogether. My focus was on different things like the website, writing, and helping out other people who needed it.  There were also times that it became impossible to look at our wedding pictures and there was no way that I was able to piece everything together.

I started working on it again a few times when I found discounts online. There was actually one time that I sat down one day and completed it. I had plans to order it the next morning, but come to find out the program had crashed and didn't save any of my work on it. I was livid and in tears because I worked so hard putting it together.

But this time, I finally completed it! I started from square one and worked on it all day long for 2 days straight. There were times that looking through the pictures was difficult, and I even shed a few tears as I was remembering things such as our first dance. But it was all worth it because now I have something that I cherish.

I wanted to share and so I have embedded the photobook below if you're interested in looking through it. It looks so much better printed!  Enjoy!

                                        Click here to view this photo book larger

Brief Wedding Post

I want to write so much more later - but firstly, I want to send my thanks to SO many people, whether they are reading this or not. I am very grateful for everyone who has helped us plan the wedding, let us borrow supplies, helped make the day smooth and much more. I just think that everyone deserves a bit of recognition, because it's just the least I can do.

My momma - Thank you SO much for EVERYTHING! You worked so hard to make everything fit together and work. You put my stress level at easy by helping and calming me down when everything got hard. You came to the rescue by helping to fix my dress and many other times. If it weren't for you I don't know how we could have made everything happen!!! It went incredibly smooth (aside from a few minor disappointments) and I do have to say 99% was because of you!!! THANKS MOM!!!!!

My bridesmaids, Amanda, and Jillana - You girls came to my RESCUE! There was so much to get done... which with one person alone it would have EASILY been a weeks worth of work - but you came through and we got it all done in a day! I had a great time putting together decorations with all of you - they looked GREAT! You were there to calm me down when everything seemed to be falling apart. =) When I couldn't think of how to do something - one of you would have a brilliant idea! You all let me rest the night before the big day by stepping up and doing a WONDERFUL job decorating the church! Your improvisations were perfect! =) Thanks for everything - I can't say that enough!!!!

Arielle!!!! - THANK YOU for doing a WONDERFUL job with the pictures - I know that we haven't even seen them yet - but I just know that they are going to be GREAT.. Heck with over 3,000 pictures taken I know they are going to be perfect and just what we're looking for. You were SO great to work with and I can't wait to give you a LOVELY testimonial for your photography business! Everything went very smoothly. Thanks also for helping with decorations! It was fun and I had a great time =) Thanks for understanding that my brain was just COMPLETELY fried and having the patience to listen to me even though I repeated myself 10 times ;-) you were great!

Ellin - Thank you SO much for keeping my mom SANE! She was so super stressed out, but then you arrived and took so so much off of her shoulders. You were a huge help in getting things set up, taking things down, and helping to make the day go so great! We had a great time while you were here - especially at the farm!!!! Come back soon some day!!! =)

Lauren and Molly - It meant SO much to Spencer and I that despite feeling so sick you were there for us on our incredibly special day! I hope you both get to feeling better real soon! =) It really shows us how much you care about us that you were there. You both hold SUCH a special place in our hearts. I hate how far away we are from each other! We had an amazing time chatting the day after the wedding - SO glad we got that chance!!! Love you both!!!

Tessa - Thanks for reading for our wedding!!!! I know how much you didn't want to but you were a trooper with it! Sorry it was a last minute thing but you did GREAT! Don't doubt yourself so much; have some confidence!!! It sounded wonderful!

Jaime - Thank you for lighting the candles for us! I don't know you all that well, but i'm very thankful that you stepped up and helped us out!!! You looked so pretty!!!

Tina, Karen, and Jan - Thank you very, very much for running the food tables!!!! I know you took a lot of stress off of my family by helping us out with that =)

To all of our guests - We cannot thank you enough for supporting us on SUCH a special day!!! We realize how many people really care about us!!! I hope you all enjoyed yourselves at the wedding and reception and again, THANK YOU for setting aside this date to spend with us!!!

To our of town guests who traveled 12 + hours to be here - THANK YOU! really - you made us feel SO special!!!!!!!!! It would have been so easy to not make that LONG trip to Kansas and back to your homes the EXACT same day... but you did - all for us.... We are forever grateful that you could share our day with us!!!! You're always going to have a special place in our heart. We love you guys so very much <3

I KNOW there are so many more people to thank - and i will get to that but these were the people that immediately came to my mind that deserved some recognition.

all Spencer and I can say is.... thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!