Post 1 of Week 1

Don't worry I'm not going to chronicle every week of my life now that I'm married.  I just didn't want the title of my post to be 'honeymoon'.  Here is a snapshot of week 1 of my married life!  I have yet to obtain any pictures from the wedding, hence no post about that, although I do have to say it was a perfect day in every way.

We went to Cancun for our honeymoon (it's become a family tradition)!  And it was wonderful.  All my thanks to my wonderful brother for his travel planning skills who recommended the hotel we stayed at.  We did the all-inclusive package and it was awesome.

We flew from Buffalo to Cancun (via Charlotte) and took a taxi from the Cancun airport to the Port so we could take the ferry to Isla Mujeres where we would spend the next 6 days...

Darren at the Cancun port.  The big yellow and blue boat was the quick 20 minute ferry to the island. 

on the ferry - don't you just love the blue water and skies??  

we walked from the Puerto Juarez on the island to the hotel.  This was our view...

these were the little thatched umbrellas we sat under and ordered pina coladas until we were full.

My nails started chipping the day we left Atlanta, but my toes are still beautifully pedicured!
Professional nail polish happens once in a blue moon.
We were on these cool beds with big pillows instead of the lounge chairs. 

I have to say, looking at our wedding bands makes me so excited.
I love seeing a ring on Darren's finger and I love the added band on my hand.  

One night we had dinner on the beach right next to the water.
They had this big seafood buffet out with special tables.
It was so cool to eat and hear the water lapping on the beach right next to us. 

This is where we ate breakfast each morning and dinner several times during the week.
Can you beat the view?  And the food was really good.
Cooked to order omelets and croissants for breakfast.  Mmmm..

Ok, now I have to go grocery shopping and wait to post more later.  We've been back for 3 days and are about out of the pasta and eggs that we had in the kitchen. Everything else had gone bad while we were on our trip. We have left cheese, condiments, cereal (but no milk) and that's about it.  And it's 5 pm and Darren should be home in 30 minutes.  I'm starting out this married life pretty well!  

Intel Recruiting

I couldn't help sharing this.  A couple of years ago, I graduated from my master's program and applied to lots of jobs.  One job was at Intel.  I know recruiting software isn't the most advanced, and for most of the jobs to which I applied I didn't hear from a recruiter whether the position had been filled.  Anyway, I have no idea what communication I received from Intel about their program, but I got this email today...OVER TWO YEARS LATER.

Not selected? Thanks for letting me know!!  I was still holding my breath.
Apparently they were cleaning up a bunch of old requisitions.

My Song

We just got back from Cancun and I am about to post some pictures, but first I wanted to share this video.  This is a song that Darren has pieced together since we started dating.  The first verse came sometime last year.  I don't remember when the second verse came.  The third verse was supposed to be part of his proposal.  But seeing as how we were on horseback in Utah, he didn't have a way to take a guitar with him. Anyway, on the ferry back to Cancun from Isla Mujeres (where we stayed on our honeymoon), the guy providing the music let Darren play a little bit and this is my song.  There were many nights when I lived in Utah that I'd fall asleep listening to this song over the phone and a few mornings that i'd receive an audio text of the song to wake up to.

PS - the music guy then brought over the microphone and plugged the guitar into the amp and Darren sang the song again to the whole ferry, but the boat was going pretty fast by then and all you can hear is the wind in my video.

PPS - touring the island outside of the town refers to our bike ride around Toronto Island...

Wedding Day Headache

It's Wednesday and I'm getting married on Saturday.  I just put my hair up to try out a hair clip I got.  I pulled my hair back and stuck in a couple bobby pins to do a makeshift hair-do like I'll have on my wedding day.  I immediately started to get a headache from the tight bobby pins!  I will definitely be popping Ibuprofen all day just for my hairdo, let alone any stress.  When my hair stylist did the practice run-through a couple months ago, she said I could easily have 50 bobby pins on my head when she did the up-do for real.  She told me I'd be pulling out bobby pins for days after the wedding....but with a couple bobby pins giving me such a headache already, they will be out as soon as possible.  Every last one of them.

Good news.  I think I like the clip.

Note to self - pack a bottle of Ibuprofen and a water bottle in my purse.

Wedding Shower #3

Last night I had my third bridal shower.
Wedding shower #1.  In Utah, my wonderful soon to be mother-in-law threw a shower for me with my friends and family from Utah before I moved to New York.  It was bittersweet because it felt part like a celebration and part like a going away party.  I had only been engaged a short time and I wasn't even used to saying 'I'm engaged' and thinking there really is a guy 2,000 miles away that I am going to marry and some day live with.  I still had trouble remembering to put my ring on my left hand.  I definitely couldn't refer to Darren as my fiance.  That was really hard to say.  So I was probably really awkward being in the spotlight and seeing people who found out I was engaged because they got a shower invitation. Oh well.  Life goes on.

Wedding shower #2. I kinda forgot about the one at the beach since it was a surprise until someone last night said, your family hasn't done a shower for you?  Then I thought - Emily.  How could you forget THE BEACH?!  Remember that surprise shower your cousins threw and you had to feel the hairy legs of your male cousins, uncles, brother, and was dad in there too?  Definitely unforgettable or maybe you can see why I tried to forget it.  Just kidding.  My cousins did an awesome job planning wonderful games. I'm still grateful for the miracle that my guess was correct on the hairy legs.  After all, living across the country from your fiance, how are you supposed to know what his hairy legs feel like? Divine inspiration.

Wedding shower #3.  A wonderful new friend in my new ward (yes, her name is Emily) threw a wedding shower for me last night.  I was so overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of everyone that came, most of whom I barely know.  I had no expectations of anyone even offering to do a shower for me here since I just moved here and I hardly know anyone. But so many people came and I was definitely showered with kindness and friendship.  I'm not sure if I'll make it in this ward.  Everyone is so friendly and they all serve each other and they are thoughtful.  I just keep to myself.  Being in this ward is going to require me to get out of my comfort zone and give away some of those cookies I bake instead of eating them all myself.  Good-bye selfish Emily.