Friday, April 27, 2012

DIY Save the Dates! (Did I mention that they were FREE!?!)

Hello ALL,
For our wedding, we didn't really have much time on our hands to put off wedding invitations. However, while we were in the process of making them and while I didn't have the addresses to a lot of people that we were inviting, we were able to make cute Save the Date Cards!
We sent these card via facebook messages and emails for people that we didn't have addresses to so that they knew WHEN we were getting married and that they were invited before the actual invites came out.

It was a pretty simple procedure. I'm in love with anything and everything FREE and CRAFTY... and the Wedding Chicks have a LOT of DIY Invitation Suites and Save the Date templates. SO I stumbled upon these templates and fell in love.
Click HERE if you want to look at these FREE Save the Date cards. I could not believe my luck when I found these.

And it is SO simple! Just DOWNLOAD, copy and paste a photo in... add a heart, circle or whatever you want to the day you are getting married... and VOILA! SAVE THE DATE COMPLETE!

There are even more Save the Date Templates Here that aren't even a calendar card. However... they have a bunch of different styles for the calendar card that are worth checking our right HERE!

Because we didn't have time to send them all out, we didn't get them printed... however, that is a possibility to do just as a keep sake.

I loved how ours turned out and I hope you guys like them too. It's all a part of the process. 

As for Travis and I, we will be leaving snowy Edmonton in 2 SLEEPS to come back home to BEAUTIFUL B.C to plan MORE for our wedding!

Till then, LOVE YOU ALL and God Bless!

Friday, April 20, 2012

The Ring

This is my BEAUTIFUL ring that Travis picked out for me. We had gone ring shopping before hand to just look at the type of style I like. I liked a simple solitaire with little diamond accents on the band. The one ring that I thought looked best on my hand (I have small hands so I didn't want anything that was overpowering) was from Ben Moss. I loved the movement of the band on my finger instead of the straight band.  I had no idea what ring he decided to get me... but Travis saw how much I loved this ring and went back within the next week to pick it up. So, HERE IT IS!

Before we got engaged, I would always wake up thinking about what it would be like to have a ring on my finger... now it is there and has not moved. I love it more and more everyday. It was a gift from my beloved and it is so precious to me.

All of these photos were taken by my amazingly talented Maid of Honour, Clara! She did a little engagement shoot for Travis and I as an engagement present. We had so much fun and I will be posting more photos sometime soon. In the mean time, you can check out Clara's new blog that she has created with our dear friend Kelsey and Jordyn. Kelsey is one of my bridesmaids and Jordyn has agreed to be our videographer for the wedding. They have created a blog to document and share their creativity like photography, videography, baking and style/beauty. If you want to look at their blog PS: heart... check them out HERE!

In the mean time... be blessed!

The Proposal

I've told the story of how Travis proposed to me so many times, but now I want to officially document it. So, this is the story of how he proposed...
We had been dating for 11 1/2 months when I was left in Edmonton to complete my 3rd year practicum and Travis went home for Christmas. I called his cell phone one evening and there was no answer... normally he is good at picking up his phone. Then I called my home phone to talk to my parents because I was feeling lonely.

This is how the conversation on the phone went...
Dad: Hello?
Me: Hi Dad, how's it going?
Dad: Oh good, good... Travis is over.
Me: ... Oh... Well, that's nice!
*Awkward silence on the other end...
Dad: Yeah, he just came over for dinner to visit us.
Me: Well I wish I was there.

Turns out, Travis was over at my house to ask my parents for my hand in marriage. I knew it right away because Dad gave it away. However, even though Dad wrecked Travis's cover when I was supposed to be surprised was a huge blessing.

After Travis talked with my parents, he called me right away...
Travis: Your Dad... he ruined it!
Me: I DON'T CARE! How did it go?

He told me about the conversation and how my parents were really happy for us. From this report, I started crying... I couldn't believe that the man of my dreams just asked my parents for my hand in marriage. The Lord was providing me with an amazing husband and has blessed me with amazing parents who were going to support and encourage us along our journey as a couple. I was overwhelmed with JOY!

Finally, I finished my practicum and headed home to Beautiful British Columbia for Christmas vacation.

Christmas came and went in a blink of an eye... and so did New Year's. I was anticipating a proposal, but I didn't know when it was going to come (I had thought about January 3rd because a year before on January 3rd, he took me on a long LONG walk and told me that he liked me...).

Finally... on January 3, I went over to his house and his parents disappeared to go to his "grandparents" and his brother disappeared to go to his "girlfriends house". Travis and I had arranged to go to our mentors place (Mike and Kathy) to roast s'mores with them... so I thought, "o.k, definitely NOT happening tonight!"

We then started making our way over to Mike and Kathy's house and it was raining (typical B.C.) Travis was a little antsy and was on his phone a LOT! I asked who he was texting and he said his brother, Luke... and I thought nothing of it.

We then got to Mike and Kathy's home, Travis said that they would meet us in their backyard. So we started walking to the side of their house. As soon as we got to their back gate, there were candles lining the steps down to the path... then I thought... "O.K, this is a fancy s'more roast".

We then entered their backyard... to my surprise, Mike and Kathy were not there. However, the yard was covered in candles and lanterns. I looked at Travis and I could tell that something was wrong.

Me: Trav, where are they?
Travis: I don't know... let's go back to the front.
Me: Why don't we just wait in the backyard?
Travis: Let's just go knock on the front door!

So we went back to the front. Travis had already snuck his phone out and called Mike.

Travis: Hey, we're here, where are you?
Mike: Oh, we'll be down there in a minute!
*Click

Me: Travis, why don't we just go to the back and wait for them?
Travis: No Jenna, it's fine, they're just getting set up!
Me: O.K well, let's go their anyways...
*I start trudging to the back
Travis: Jenna... noooooooooo... O.K...

I start making my way BACK to the backyard and Travis starts holding my shoulders. He gave them a squeeze as I turned the corner...

There was Mike and Kathy... and my Mom, Dad and brother... and Travis's Mom, Dad, brother and brother's girlfriend, Chelsea.

Travis's Mom and Dad: (1 Corinthians 13) 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
My Mom and Dad: 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Mike and Kathy: 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails.

Luke in the mean time handed Travis the RING! After they recited the verse, Travis said a beautiful speech about how much he loves me and how he desires to love me and serve me for the rest of my life.


Then he got down on one knee... 
Travis: Jenna McAlary... will you marry me?


Jenna: YES!!!

The first thing that I did was give him a hug... 

 FINALLY I let him put the ring on...

Then we were surrounded by our friends and family with hugs!
I'm so glad that my Mama was there... that was so special. My man knows me too well. He did a great job planning. 

 Mike and Kathy helped Travis plan the engagement... they provided candles for everyone to hold and then gave them to us as an engagement gift. We will be using them at our wedding as decorations too. It was so special to get engaged in front of our dear friends as well. Kathy is my mentor and we had been praying for this day for a long time. We are now praying for the wedding day. 

A picture with the immediate family from both sides... Kevin (my bro, who will also be the M.C at the wedding), my Mom, my Dad, me, Trav, Shelley (Trav's Mom), Garry (Trav's Dad), and Luke (his younger brother, a groomsmen).

We are SO blessed by these two. The Richardson's are absolutely amazing and mean so much to us. When I first told Kathy that I was dating a Johannesson, she freaked out because they knew the family from a LONG time ago. Mike actually dedicated Travis when he was a baby. He likes to take a lot of credit for Travis's height. He always says, "I blessed you well!"

 
Finally, the last picture of me and my amazing fiance. He had been planning the proposal since August of the previous year. He even messaged my manager at work to make sure that I had January 3rd off. What a guy... I'm definitely blessed. 

After we took photos outside, we proceeded inside and celebrated with Mike's famous special coffee drinks (definitely better then starbucks...) and cake! We then made phone calls to our families and close friends who will be in the wedding party.

Well... this is a long story, but one worth telling. I can't believe how blessed I am and now we are getting ready to live life together. Right now I only have 1 exam left and Trav has 2. Then, we will be heading home on April 29th!

As for now... 3 months and 2 days till we get married! 92 days and we will be MARRIED!!!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Hello AGAIN Friends and Family! (and Blogging World)

I have been trying to start up my old blog again... I'm not very good at this... so here we go again. 
Anyways, I was just thinking about how I have really wanted to document my life because well... 
I'M GETTING MARRIED! And... I'm getting married to the most amazing man I have ever MET!
July 22nd 2012 is the date and right now we are 97 days away and we can't wait! My fiance, Travis, is one amazing man and we are just working on finishing up exams before we go back home to beautiful B.C.
So, I figure I may as well start this blog with a little bit of background of us before we continue on with this project.
Here Is Just A Little Snibit of How We Met and Started Out...
(This is on our Wedding Website which I will talk about later on)

Jenna’s Point of View
I moved from Ladner to Edmonton to pursue my teaching career at the University of Alberta. The thought of moving to Edmonton was one that never entered my mind, but my best friend Clara was moving there and wanted a roommate and pointed me to the UofA website to look of the Education program. I ended up loving it and decided to apply.
In the mean time, her boyfriend and my good friend, Caleb, had been telling me about his awesome roommate Travis who he wanted me to hook up with. Just to clarify, I did NOT move to Edmonton to pursue a boy… but I moved to go to school and to seek out a intentional community.
Long story short, Caleb and Clara’s intentions for Travis and I to be together ended up working! The first time I met Travis, I knew I he was a man that I wanted to get to know… and I liked him right away. However, I tried avoiding it for the first part of the semester because we were in such close quarters and were working on building an intentional community. Then, by October of 2010, Travis and I had become good friends and shared the same love for many things like the outdoors, sports, singing, guitar, dancing, laughing and of course, the Lord.
Eventually in November, Travis made me a steak dinner… then a stirfry… then another dinner and another…
I tried making a trifle for him but failed and burnt the angel food cake (I was very nervous to be around him).
By January of 2011, Travis told me he liked me and we decided we would pray about dating each other and seek out the Lord before we actually started dating… (We started dating 9 days later… we were so excited).
We have been through many things together… we have had many highs and many lows. However, Travis is not only my amazing fiance, but he is my best friend that constantly holds me up in prayer and is continually serving me, comforting me, and encouraging me. I am a VERY blessed woman to have him in my life and God has DEFINITELY drowned me in His unconditional love by providing me with an amazing man who I can’t wait to have as my husband.

Travis’s Point of View
I had been living in Edmonton for 2 years already and I was not planning on coming back to Edmonton for my 3rd year. My brother and I had planned on going travelling, but when football had offered me a starting position on the team, I could not say no so I decided to go back.
I have to tell you, that was the best decision of my entire life. Without it, I would not have met the most AMAZING girl I have ever know who would one day be my future wife.
The first time I met Jenna, she blew me away with her friendliness… and she had such a great personality. We were drawn towards each other from the beginning. We shared the same humor, the same weirdness about the way we acted, the same energy levels… needless to say, we became very good friends.
It was later in November when we really started hanging out a lot more and talking more. I knew that I was attracted to this girl and she was really sweet, but I didn’t want to screw anything up so I decided to tread carefully. After a while I knew this was the girl for me and so I pulled out all the stops, I’m talking making 3 course meals, marinating steaks… the whole nine yards. I tell you that stuff works because she fell so hard for me, it was awesome!
I finally told her her that I liked her when we went home for Christmas and we started dating soon after that back in Edmonton. Being with Jenna has brought me so much more joy and makes me look at everything in a more special way. She is such a beautiful person inside and out and God has blessed me beyond measure with Jenna. Every day, I fall deeper in love with her and can not wait to spend the rest of my life making her happy and serving her.


So that is it for now folks! We are just about to go and watch the Canucks game... game 3 and we haven't won yet... but we are still cheering for the Nucks! GO CANUCKS GO!