Devon and Keith's Wedding

We went down to Longboat Key yesterday for Devon and Keith's wedding. It was a beautiful day; not a cloud in the sky, a nice breeze, and a quiet beach. The wedding had a perfect feel. It was so intimate and personal, and included lots of family and all the kids. Keith looked so peaceful and ready for this day in his white linen pants and blue shirt, and Devon's looked great in her dress that had a bit of a beach flair. The kids were involved too. Kammie came down this aisle dropping flowers along the way, and then Devon came down to meet Keith, who had the adorable Kaeden at his side. 

  

Their pastor had a great message about the meaning of this day the responsibilities of the new husband and wife. Their vows were perfect, and followed by a very hot kiss, and then they left as a family- man and wife and their two kids running ahead of them down the beach. I was so happy for them the feeling of their contented state was palpable. 

Everyone took a few pictures on the beach and mingled for a bit. Then we went to the reception. Everything was so fun and so personal. Keith's Uncle John and his staff catered the whole thing and cooked everything on a few grills outside the reception. As we walked up we could smell the grills and were very pleasantly surprised with the stuffed mushrooms and stuffed red peppers, potatoes, steak, and grilled shrimp. We drank margaritas all night, caught up with old friends, and danced to really fun music. 

The kids were enjoying themselves and it was fun to see a family grow right before your eyes, with Keith and his brothers and their families and kids all running around with Kammi and Kaeden. Alex and I had a great time and I loved how this wedding was completely Devon and Keith. This was the 5th wedding we've been to since February and it just makes me realize that no two weddings are ever the same, and that every wedding is a perfect reflection of who the couple is of what the couple is all about. This wedding was all about family and intimacy, and the start of a family as is was always meant to be, with God at the center of their focus for their relationship and family. Alex and I were honored to be there and to be part of such a beautiful and special day. 

Then when we were leaving Alex and I decided to take a walk on the beach. It was beautifully lit by the moon and the stars, and the sound of the waves and the smell of the salt and sand was a perfect way to end the night. We walked for a bit and realized we were the only two on the beach for miles......

Jenn and Sean's Wedding Weekend

This was such a fun weekend. All the anticipation finally led up to Sunday. We had fun with the engagement party, the bridal shower, and the bachelorette party. This weekend was just nonstop excitement. It started on Friday with the Higher Royal Tea at the Empress Tea Room. Jenn invited all her special ladies out for tea, soup and salad, finger sandwiches, scones, desserts, and champagne. We had a great time and it put us all in the mood for elegance this weekend. 

Then the Rehearsal was on Saturday morning and we had a great lunch at Landry's just eatin, talkin, chillin, and drinkin. Saturday night we had a slumber party at Jenn's. Laura and Kristin made a very tasty and low sodium salmon dinner. We were told numerous times to limit our salt intake as to not retain too much water. Then we spent the evening having fun girl talk about our husbands among other things, and we watched Twilight. Or I should say I watched Twilight because all the girls went to bed about 20 minutes into the movie. It was different but I enjoyed it. 

Then Sunday morning we woke Jenn up to yell, "you're a

 bride", to which she kicked everyone out and said she needed more sleep and we could come back in at 9:00. We went to Mimi's in our jammies and had breakfast and then went back to Jenn's to shower just in time for our stretch Excursion Limo to pick us up and take up to Avila. We were at Avila pretty early so after checking the place out a bit we settled into our Bridal suite overlooking the golf course. The highly sophisticated people who belong to Avila were having brunch downstairs in the dinning room, so we were able to get the tasty brunch full of breakfasts, lunch items, fruits, desserts and bring it up to the suite, as our commoner dress was not up to code. While enjoying brunch our hair and make up ladies arrived and spent all day pampering us and touching up our looks as needed. Amidst the brunch and beautification was a masseuse who brought in a massage chair, which was a good thing because Jenn's couch left me with a stiff neck. Well I was very pleased with my hair. It was full of curls and volume, and I felt like myself only a much more sophisticated and elegant version. The make up was great and my dress was rockin. I felt great all night. 

Just as we were ready for pictures the rain came in and soaked everything. We took pre-wedding pictures indoors and then it was time for the ceremony. Right as we were ready to walk down the aisle I got that fantastically wonderful jittery feeling in my stomach and was overcome with such joy for my friend, Jennifer, who looked stunning. We looked each other in the eye and as I left her we were both pushing back our tears. The wedding was in a beautiful venue with classic Mediterranean features, with high ceilings, heavy wood doors, and marble and hardwood flooring. We came down stairs that led right into the aisle. The beauty of the room was incredible and everything was so classic. Then Jenn came down the aisle and she was as stunning as you would imagine. She met her dad, Tom, and the bottom of the stairs and walked the aisle to meet Sean. 

I was pleasantly surprised with the ceremony. Rob Cohen officiated and did a great job of infusing all that Jenn and Sean are into the ceremony. Their vows were some of the best I've ever heard, and I liked the creativity of selecting song lyrics as their vows. Jenn caught the giggles for a moment, and had trouble settling into her set of the vows, but eventually did and the whole thing was perfectly Jenn and Sean. By the time the ceremony was over the rains were gone and the skies were clearing. We were able to get the post-wedding pictures out on the golf course and took some really cute ones. 

While we were waiting for the couple's return from their sweetheart pictures the wedding party was in a holding room planning our grand entrances. We decided dancing in with some groovy moves was not going to cut it so we planned for the guys to carry in the girls while they waved their bouquets wildly and whooped it up. Nathan, Sean's brother and best man and I decided on a twist. I was the last bridesmaid to come in so after three ladies were carried in I entered the reception carrying Nathan piggyback. I carried him all the way across the room and didn't fall even on my heels. It was so fun and everyone was dying laughing and cheering me on. It was one of my more fun moments of the night. Jenn and Sean entered with little fanfare other than holding hands as man and wife and happily strolling in with huge smiles, that showed they were perfectly content in their new state. 

I can't remember the order of the next few events, but it included their first dance, which was sweet and intimate; toasts and speeches; and dinner followed by cake cutting. I gave a speech and toasted the couple. I spoke about how Jenn is like a sister to me and that I have seen her since she was a little girl and that I know Sean brings out all that is good in his new wife. I hoped it was a tribute to our friendship, and recognition of all that Jenn has become, and the realization that Sean has played a role in who she is today. I hoped they enjoyed it. Jenn's dad also gave a nice speech and told two stories I've always heard him tell for years. One being that Jennifer came home in a Christmas stocking after being born three days prior to the holiday, and how Jennifer's first words were "wok n woll" after the song. Needless to say, we all enjoyed singing, "I love Rock n Roll, so put another dime in the jukebox baby."

We had fun dancing for a while, including Jenn and her dad dancing to "Wind beneath my wings", which Jenn said she would dance to at her wedding the first time we watched Beaches together back in 10th grade and every time since then. It was perfectly sweet and I was happy for them both. The dancing did feel like it was cut short. I imagine we could have danced all night long. I sure could have... I had enough Chardonnay to keep me dancing. 

Then we boarded a stretch Limo with 14 people and headed to the hotel for the after party. It was a fun atmosphere but the moving around and not being able to see out, coupled with flashing lights in the limo made me nauseous. We got off the bus and everyone dispersed while Alex and I checked in. We had nothing else to do but make our way to the hotel for a little hotel fun and then almost fell asleep. Jenn called us to say everyone is partying in Kristen and Laura's room so we headed down there in jeans and t-shirts to join the party. I was so glad Jenn called and than she remembered us and wanted us to be there to party. I took her a hanger I had made for her wedding dress. It had ribbons sewn into it that had marriage advice from all her girls at the shower. I wanted to give it to her right off the limo so they could have a nice moment before they spent their first time together as husband and wife. Jenn and Sean came out of the hotel party to accept the gift and spent time quietly reading each message and thanked me for the thoughtful gift. Then I was happy and we went into the party, which included dancing on the beds, everyone else continuing to drink, and just good fun. We went to bed about 3:00 and slept well until it was time for the send off brunch. Everyone was in the hotel dining room for one last time together. It was perfect. 

I want to thank Jenn and Sean and all of their parents for such a fun weekend. I know usually the couple thanks everyone else but I realize what a huge task it is to throw such an event. They really wanted all the guests and the bridal party to have a great time and we did. They spared no expense, took care of us extremely well, and infused an energetic vibe on the entire weekend beginning with Friday's Tea and ending with Monday morning's brunch. I was so honored to be a part and I appreciated that they gave me such a special role in the whole thing. I am so happy for my friend, Jennifer, and I know she and Sean and going to love being married. I can't wait to see how they will continue to grow in their marriage, and I hope we continue to spend time together with each other and our husbands, and the new friends we've made through this whole celebration. 

My pictures don't do this wedding justice. I was too busy having fun to take a lot of pictures and I can't wait until the professional ones are ready. 

Congratulations, Duffman and Duffgirl! That was one awesome wedding. 

My mom

Well my mom pulled off the surprise of a lifetime tonight. We were having dinner over there and Lori and Jackie were there, along with Alex and I. My mom asked if my students ever try to pull anything over on me and I coolly brushed off that I am too quick and too smart to be fooled. Then she looked me in the eye with a twinkle in hers and with more pride than I've ever seen she told me she pulled one over on me. 

Slightly confused, I asked her what she was talking about and she told me she was paying off my student loans this week! Excuse me? Come again? What's that? Oh, right. Come to find out my mom, who has been retired for two years has been secretly working in the school system for an entire school year and has used the salary for nothing other than to fund an account to pay off my student loan balance of $15,000 and Marc's loans, with a similar balance. She was tickled pink and laughing and smiling that she was so sneaky to work all year, to be completely involved in a new school, and that on multiple occasions almost let the cat out of the bag, only to save herself and leave me none the wiser. Everybody knew and was so excited... Lori and Dave, my aunt, all my mom's coworkers, even her students! Talk about a labor of love! 

It was February 2008 when Alex and I were turned on to Dave Ramsey. Lori and Dave had made some incredibly wise financial choices and Alex and I found ourselves looking for that same financial peace. So we began our Total Money Makeover and with incredible enthusiasm told my mom and Jackie our plan over dinner one night. They were proud of us and thought we had a good plan in place for getting out of debt and starting our family. Well within 13 months Alex and I paid off $16,000 in credit cards and $11,000 on a car loan. We were well on our way to paying off our student loans, attacking mine first and then Alex's. We have had some extra expenses the last few months so I was starting to feel like we were about to stall in our enthusiasm for our "Debt Snowball". My mom's gift tonight just gave us all the motivation needed to attack out last debt. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel and in no time at all we will be screaming into Dave Ramsey's radio waves, "We're debt free!"

To truly understand what this means to me you have to understand the immense burden these student loans have been to me. When I started college my mom was fresh off a divorce from a guy who financially and emotionally screwed us all royally. She was a single mother to three teenagers, working on a teacher's salary, receiving no child support, and I was starting college. With no money for school I ended up taking out student loans. It made me sick to take on debt, even though student loans are just a part of life for so many. My sophomore year I decided I didn't want any debt so I took out no loans, and let me tell you I have no idea how I paid bills for a year with no money. So my three remaining years I finally realized that I had no choice but to take on more loans, and upon graduation I had no money and $30,000 worth of debt. I always felt like it was something that weighed heavy on me. Like I would never get out from under these loans. It would be a $158 payment every month of my life forever. I felt like it was kind of something my dad had saddled me with that put me behind the 8-ball before I even got going. I know funding an education is usually referred to as smart debt, but any debt is a bad thing and for a while it consumed me until other debts began to pile on top of it. To make things worse my grandparents were sitting on piles of cash at the end of their lives and knowing this burden chose not to help in any way. My dad then inherited the money and with his new found wealth and self-realized power found himself once again slighting his children to buy timeshares, flip houses, fund scholarships for other college students, and blow money faster than you would believe. So here was my grandparents hard earned cash, that might as well have vanished in the wind, gone. And on my measly teacher's salary I felt helpless. I eventually realized I wasn't going to win the lottery, or a slot machine jackpot, or get a windfall from family. Through hard work and focus Alex and I made a plan and I felt like we were going to pay off the loans. They were not going to be a monthly payment for the rest of our lives. 

 Three years ago my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and fought hard for an entire year. She recovered from her cancer and is healthy. Well she was also ready for retirement and was at a school she'd been in forever, working with people whose attitudes had become toxic. She needed a break for sure, and she went off into her retirement with all the enthusiasm of a kid starting summer vacation...  that would last forever. So we bought her sudoku and crossword books to occupy her retirement, and assumed she'd travel a lot with Jackie. My mom had always worked so hard at work and at home and I was so happy when she married Jackie and he made it possible for her to retire early. But I guess that deep down inside she had a hard time being happy knowing that her kids were carrying the burden of debt. I think she also always felt a bit responsible as a parent to fund or help fund her kid's educations. So after a year to recover and rejuvenate from working for 30 years and collecting her retirement check she decided she'd put together a resume, interview at schools, and start fresh. She lived off her salary, stockpiling some cash for herself with the way her stocks were performing, and put 100% of her monthly retirement pension into an account to tell me today that she has all the money necessary for me to pay off the debt. They call it double-dipping in the schools. Collect retirement and a salary at the same time. She says she loves her school and has had the best school year of her life. She says she has had fun keeping this secret and knowing every two weeks that she was getting closer and closer to revealing this surprise to me. Oh I must mention her school is MORT!!!!!!!!!!!! If anyone knows Mort, it is about the poorest school in the county. In fact, my school has adopted this school and our PTA has fundraisers and collection drives for them all year. When you think of poor performing schools, kids from rough backgrounds, kids and parents who don't speak English, the kind of school teachers get stuck in-- that's Mort. But my mom picked it! It is not far from her house, and she has always taught in low SES schools so it's all she knows. She says there are a lot of teachers who are really great and have proudly worked hard to pull that school from an F to a C. She loves her kids and her coworkers are great. On top of that "Labor of love", my stepdad Jackie has had to deal with my mom being back at work when he was looking forward to them being retired and traveling and living like newlyweds. It has been hard on him to accept that my mom felt she had to do this, and she so enjoyed her students that she wouldn't take off any days to travel to their cabin in TN for mini-vacations and for upkeep on the cabin. I appreciate his sacrifice as much as hers. 

I don't think I can ever put into words what this means. It's probably why I've rambled on for six paragraphs. And truthfully, it's not the money. It is the sacrifice and dedication and "project" my mom worked on for no purpose other than to give us kids peace and help us reach our goals a little faster. I always told people my mom was the most selfless and giving person I have known. Today she proved me right. I am so proud to call her my mom. And tomorrow when we walk into the bank together to transfer the money to Collegiate Funding Services no words will ever be enough. I hope that when I have the opportunity to help others through sacrifice and selfless dedication I can use her example. I will pay this forward, mom, and your example will be with me forever, and the memory of this night with me always. 

Oh, by the way she paid for our wedding too, and used this job to finally pay off the last bit of the wedding from two years ago!

My mom rocks, doesn't she?!

Another chapter completed

Alex has finished EMT school. He was awesome in the Fire Academy finishing at the top of the class, and in EMT school he did even better. He was a leader among his peers and was always helping guys study when he knew they were going to struggle. This last year has been a year of sacrifice for Alex and I. He has managed to work 5-6 days a week and go to school 4 night a week. Many days started at 5:30 and ended at 10:00. He never once said he didn't want to work or go to school, he never complained about the long hours, and never said he was tired. I can be a big time complainer so Alex's example gave me strength during this time. Alex has always said he is not afraid of hard work and coming from the example his parents set for him I know that is a value he truly bestowes. I had to learn to be patient and independent this year because I spent my evenings alone with Maggie. I learned to cherish our daily 10 minute breakfasts and make the most of our weekends as a time to spend together or with family. 

With Alex's school complete for the moment it is time for Alex to take his state licensing exam as an EMT and then he will be eligible for a job as a firefighter. We will try to be patient, knowing this employment process can be long, but we are so anxious for this new chapter in our lives. Alex did all he could during the last year to learn the skills necessary, impress his instructors, establish contacts in various departments, and get himself physically prepared. If there is a job opportunity Alex should be at the top of the list as a candidate. 

I've never been more proud of my man. His character and determination are to be admired. 

Love is in the air...

This spring has been a season of weddings for Alex and I. It started off in February with our friend Jesse, and then a teacher friend Carey, married Roy, in a bayside ceremony in Clearwater. Then April surprised us with how much we enjoyed Jason "Smitty" and Kim's wedding at the Dunedin Marina. Jen, Jaime, and Milo came to town and we spent a day at Honeymoon Island, followed by a sunset ceremony and a fun night with old friends for the wedding. 

These were fun weddings but it is all leading up to the May weddings, which we are saving the best for last! Jenn and Sean are getting married May 24th. We are officially kicking off their wedding month this coming weekend when all Jenn's girlfriends will hit Cocoa Beach for surfing lessons, boating, and a little naughty fun while out on the town. Then after a two week break we will have a great Memorial Day weekend, with Jenn's Bridal luncheon on Friday, Rehearsal Lunch on Saturday, and the Wedding Sunday including hotel after par-tay. Then after a week to "relax" it will be time for Devon and Keith wedding! And have we ever been waiting for this one. We will be in Longboat Key to watch them make their commitment official, even though they have been a family for nearly five years now. 

Oh and by the way with love in the air, let me say how much I LOVE my husband. He is so good to me.

Having too much time on your hands is time-consuming

Well since I started this thing I thought I'd update it every couple weeks. It seems that devoting time to myspace and facebook leaves little time in the day for blogging.

This month has been our quietest month in a while. Alex finished fire school so he's been around in the evenings and weekends a lot more. He did such an awesome job in school. Unfortunately he didn't make a big deal of the graduation ceremony so we were not there for him to accept his award for "Best Practical", which means he was deemed the most physically skilled cadet in his class. I was proud of him, and now the first chapter has been closed and EMT school awaits in the spring.
Thanksgiving was this weekend and we spent it in Boca with Alex's parents. We had a great time and had the smallest Thanksgiving since it was just mom, Lori, Marc, and I. We had plenty of food, hit up the beach for Black Friday Frisbee, and left the Hard Rock Casino with plenty of coin in our pockets after a solid black jack performance by Alex and a hot hand of video poker for me. The best part of the weekend was that it helped build the anticipation of our upcoming trip to Peru for Christmas. We are so excited and I really wish I would have practiced my spanish better so I can talk to my sweet little peruvian grandmother-in-law. Everyone there is excited for us to come too. They have the guest beds ready, the parties planned, and the excursions and day trips planned and booked. This will be a trip of a life time with the enitre Moran clan and then some in Lima for Christmas and Alex's birthday.

And most exciting of the last week is Jenn and Sean's engagement! They are a very relaxing couple to be around. They complement each other well, and very gentile with one another, and are a strong two-some. They are strong individually, yet neither one dominates the relationship. They strike a great balance. Their wedding will be beautiful and they will learn that the wedding really is a several month celebration of their love and of everyone else sharing in that bond.

Our introduction to the Blogging World

Alex and I decided to start a blog so our out-of-town family and friends can know what we're up to. I constantly get grief from people saying we don't call enough, which is true. This way we can share the new things in our lives and the associated pictures at the same time. After all, Alex and I are in an exciting time in our lives.

I started back to school last week for my 6th year. I can't even believe I have been teaching that long. Last year was my best year in a lot of ways. It was my first year as Mrs. Moran. I had great kids... really cool, lots of personality, smart, and lots of my best athletes to date. My FCAT scores were through the roof, and our 4th grade was in the top 10 in the state. This year is slow starting. The bonding process seems slower this year than last year. Some of the kids have zero personality, but I know it's early and I know there are some sweet, smart kids from good families so I'm excited to get to know another 40 kids this year. I've also been teaching long enough now that I have several younger siblings of kids I previously taught, and this year I have the third child from one family to come through my doors... meaning I've been doing this for an amount of time making me OLD. It also means that I have developed a reputation with families (and their friends and neighbors) at my school for being a great and fun teacher. Oh, and I had my 10 year high school reunion a few weeks ago. It was fun. The best part was feeling that I was in the group of those who had changed for the better, in my clothes and hair if nothing else, but also in the other ways people change as they go through their 20s. There were too many people who seemed exactly the same. Here's Jenn and I... some pretty hot mamas, with our guys.

Now for Alex... and saving the best for last because he really has much more exciting things going on right now than I do. Alex is in the middle of his Fire Academy training. He is taking classes two nights per week and all day Sunday. He is loving it and is kicking ass in the classroom and in the field. He is making some new friends, forming a study group with some and working out with others. Sunday is the best day for him because it is the day they do the bulk of their physical activity. He loves the exercise component and is really getting into great shape. Well he was in great shape; he's in even better shape now. His classes continue through October and then he'll take his state exams for certification as a licensed Florida firefighter.