A Long Hiatus

...it has been. Sorry about that. The church wedding in Manila took a lot out of Jess and me, and I believe we've just really caught up now, and also digested everything. It was a beautiful ceremony, and an even more exquisite (don't you love that word?) experience. But we were super tired after. The adrenaline high, and the extreme crash after, I think more me than Jess. So we're back. And we will update soon. At the moment, I am also stamping/personalizing thank you cards, 155 and counting...yay, 52 left, unless we want to make more :/ I even stamped at a Superbowl party!...then again, my social powers fail at such occasions, so it was a win-win situation. I wonder why I'm doing it the hard way, when most people just buy the darn thing, and the recipients usually take one look, coo then dump my worked-on card. But this is what I wanted to do from the start: more personal, more crafty, even if some people might think we're too poor to buy cards when that isn't it. Oh well. Such is a crafter's struggle. In any case, stay tuned!

Wedding #1 of 3 in 5 days

So. Jess and I, standing in front of a judge, 5 days from today. Whoa.

It has been very busy for Jess and me, what with wedding planning and other family stuff, as well as matters at work. But with our upcoming civil/courthouse wedding in 5 days (!), I thought it best to spruce up the details on our registry, as people have been asking about it, so here it is: http://mousebee.mydagsite.com.

Jess and I really thought about it, and we really think a cash registry suits our needs best. We just hope this is not offensive to anyone. If you look at how it is set up, it states that there is no required amount you have to give, large or small, so whatever works for you, or even if it doesn't, that's fine, too. What's nice about this registry, though, is it gives some format, such as when we met, what we suggest as guest accommodations, etc. So I cracked my knuckles and typed away today. We hope you enjoy the end result. As much as it is a registry, it also has other information that you might like knowing, like how we met :) Since I updated that registry, I feel I owe it to everyone to update this blog!

Truly, I am not thinking about the wedding at this point, but the whole affair that comes with it. My birthday is in 3 days, and our civil wedding is in 5. My Mom is arriving in 2 days, and as she doesn't drive nor know Houston as well as we do, it is up to us to make her visit enjoyable. Also, the schoolyear is drawing to a close, at least at the school I work at--in 12 days, in fact. So yeah: a lot of things to think about besides getting married. But if I stop to think about it, this is quite a life-changing event. I don't know if it's going to be the biggest life-changer ever, as Jess and I have been living together for a bit over a year now, and commuting back and forth before that, but it is still a big deal: in the eyes of society, I will be connected to him, and he to me. It makes me think of what I've accomplished so far and deplore to think that I haven't gotten very far yet. I worry about how life will change after marriage, and I hope it won't change for the worse, if it will change (and it probably will). I hope that our love will only get stronger, our bond deeper over time.

I guess this also means that I will not be a single entity any longer. Most decisions I make (if not all), I should consult with him. We will be each other's person. I am not just responsible for me, but now, I should worry about his well-being, and act correspondingly, as well. As such, this is a responsibility, one I worry about being able to fulfill properly. I hope I will be able to do so: I take responsibilities seriously, and I like knowing what's going on. (As such, I don't trust easy)

Of course, this marriage business should not be taken lightly. I'm hoping our union will last, and that it will be a happy, loving one. I hope we will make each other happy. I truly hope this enterprise works. I just like being sure, but sometimes, I guess I just have to let go, and roll with it.

Here's to trusting, and taking the big leap into the Big Unknown Step called marriage.

Legal Stuff

So apparently getting my birth certificate is harder than it looks.

I need to have it notarized, unless I want to go to San Diego.

Then there's getting a marriage license in Houston. No blood test/medical certificate needed, nor witnesses, but the license must be procured 3 days-30 days before the ceremony, and couple must go together 30 minutes before the county office closes?

Then the ceremony must have a justice of the peace or a licensed/ordained Christian priest/Jewish rabbi. We don't have an officiant yet (for this or for the wedding), but Jess and I believe--at least for the wedding part-- that he/she must be someone we know personally, i.e. have personal history with. There's also the option to do it in Austin.

Then there's the name-changing deal. You have to have the post-ceremonial paper first, though.

Oi vey. I'm a bit confused.

Some Details

The following are templates of what we're thinking of using; feel free to use them for your own ceremonies :) The Madlibs I actually copied visually from a TheKnot.com article image--with a few adjustments :) So I'm quite proud I was able to do that :) The vows I found from a book entitled "Joining Hands and Hearts" by Rev. Susanna Stefanachi Macomb--again, with a little tweak here and there. :) Anyway, without further ado:

MAD LIBS!

~*Wedding Advice for Jess and Therese*~

We are __(adjective)___ for Jess and Therese. They are the most ___(adjective)____ __(plural noun)__ and we wish them nothing less than __(adjective)____ __(noun)__ for the rest of their lives together. Our best advice? Don’t forget to ___(advice)___ before you __(verb)___ and __(advice)__ after the __(noun)__. Jess should always try to___(verb)___ Therese’s __(noun)___ and Therese should always try to ___(verb)____ Jess’ ___(noun)___ We wish you __(amount)___ years of happiness and __(adjective)___ ___(noun)___.

~*Do share your advice with us by filling in the blanks and handing this sheet to us before you leave. Thank you!*~


VOWS WE ARE CONSIDERING:

Jess’

Illuminata by Marianne Williamson

With this ring, I give you my promise that from this day forward
you shall not walk alone.
May my heart be your shelter and my arms be your home.
May we always be blessed.
May we walk together through all things.
May you feel deeply loved, for indeed you are.
May you always see your innocence in my eyes.
With this ring, I give you my heart. I have no greater gift to give.
I promise I shall do my best.
I shall always try.
I feel so honored to call you my spouse.
I feel so blessed to call you mine.
May we feel this joy forever.


Therese’s

Selection 3 by Roy Croft

I love you, not only for what you are
But for what I am when I am with you.
~*~
I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself
But for what you are making of me.
~*~
I love you, for the parts of me that you bring out;
I love you, for putting your hand into my heart
and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can’t help
dimly seeing there,
and for drawing out into the light all the beautiful belongings
that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.
~*~
I love you because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life
not a tavern but a temple; out of works of my every day
not a reproach but a song.