Our Day.

Our day was us. An outside reception is not something to mess around with for a control freak, but wow, I am so glad we took the chance. I still can't stop thinking about how perfect everything was. I used to daydream about how everything was going to look  and now I just daydream about how everything went. Absolutely perfect. Everything was homemade from the bouquets & boutonnieres to the wine. This wedding had not only my heart and soul in it, but my whole family and our friends who worked so hard to make my vision become a reality. Here's a couple of snapshots of the details of our day...

We made the programs by using fonts we found off of Pinterest.

The pew decoration were really simple...sheets of organza tied with twine and we tucked baby's breath into it. 

This wagon was mine growing up and we cut a big piece of tulle that could wrap around it and then cut and tied small piece of tulle to give it a tutu look. Norah (the flower girl) was also wearing a tutu! They both did so good.

Last minute (like 4 hours before the wedding) we decided to add astillbe (the pinkish flower) out of my mom's flower gardens to go with the baby's breath. 

Bar sign. Chalked onto our old front porch by my artsy sister. 

The menu on a window leaning against a ladder.

The center pieces were different at every table. They had mason jars we wrapped with lace, burlap, twine, pearls, etc. and filled with flowers or a candle. The table numbers were picture frames Andy and I found and made different backgrounds and stamped the numbers on. 

There were also a lot of twine flowers everywhere that we made. We took doilies and wrapped them around the silverware and tied it with twine flowers. It was so much work but I loved how they looked. 

Escort cards on chicken wire. We (my sister) wrote the names on office tags and stamped the number. 

This was the dance floor the night before the wedding after it was finished. We had a hula hoop chandelier (thank you Pinterest) and windows hanging from wire on the back wall to give it a little something. We also hung mason jars in the trees with candles in them. 

This is the dance floor from the side of the deck.

This picture was from the side of the dance floor. The cupcake and candy table are straight ahead but it shows the jars lit up in the trees. 

And after writing this blog and looking back through it, pictures just don't do it justice...Thank you to everyone who helped make that day a reality! 

Wedding slideshow

This is the slideshow I worked way too hard on hours before our wedding. In case you wanted to see it, or see it again.

Annie song: Flowers in your hair-Lumineers
Andy song: Growing Up- Bruce Springsteen
Andy & Annie song: Overwhelmed- Tim McMorris

Enjoy!

MARRIED.

I am married [& probably considered the most annoying person around because I am still so excited about being a wife, but married nonetheless]. Everything went perfect. I cannot wait to actually sit down and blog about all the components that went into this wedding, but for now, I need to finish thank you notes before getting busy with work again! Here's a couple of gems that are making me excited to see more pictures!! 

This was right after a groomsman accidentally trampled a family of field mice. Those guys had me laughing ALL day!

These people made my wedding dreams come true! So thankful for my family, we could not have done it without them!

Tie a Knot and HANG ON!

It has been so long since I've even felt guilty for not writing. Ahh I am so busy! I am doing an internship at a daycare in Byron Center about 40 hours a week (in a room full of 2 year olds!) and then cramming in about 20 more hours on the weekend to make money! Craziness. If I ever had the choice to this again I probably wouldn't. PLUS all this wedding business going on and Andy is preparing for boards (which is the Monday before our wedding awesome timing). My head's been spinning 90 mph.
 The final details and finishing touches are pretty much done for the wedding. This past weekend we (my dad, Big J, and Cassie) worked on the dance floor where Andy and I will be sharing our first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Bosch and finished our ceremony programs. Which is awesome but crazy. We've been counting down for what seems like forever and I'm at 12 days today. 12. That's like nothing.
Ahhh my life. It is all about to slow down and I'll be wishing I was this busy, but for now this is how I feel...12 more days...

Ps. The only reason why I had time to write this blog is because it's nap time and I'm waiting for my powerpoint for class to download. I loathe nap time. Two mandatory hours a day where the kids get to re-energize for the rest of the day and I tiredly eat string cheese and goldfish and stress over homework.  

Rainy Day Post.

Wow. I have been so busy since school has been done. This is good. I love to be busy. Today is my first day off in 2 weeks and I was up by 8am working on wedding things. People told me this engagement time would fly by and I always just thought good because it feels like it's going sooo slow. I believe them now. The next schedule that comes out for my work will be for my WEDDING MONTH. I'm sorry if all this wedding talk is annoying but I am so excited. The anticipation used to be about the date and party but as we are nearing to the date I am so ready for those days after June 22. Andy and I go weeks without seeing each other and to be able to have him in Grand Rapids as my husband is what I most look forward to.

The Holwerda house, in general, is so busy right now. Andy and I are signing our apartment lease today and moving stuff there this weekend (after I work the last prom of the season--thank God!). RSVP's due today and two bridal showers this week. Fred is graduating today from the University of Colorado and being commissioned tomorrow as a Marine officer and planning a wedding for August, Cassie is coming home from Iowa for the summer (eeee!!), and Jake is running conference tonight and graduating this month. And like always, Dot is so sick of pretending like she cares about all this wedding talk from me (she's such a good listener). Happy Weekend everyone!

A12.

I have had the privilege to live with two wonderful ladies the past three years at Western in a very small, quirky apartment we call A12. You know when God puts people in your life at really odd times and for really odd reasons and you look back and you're like ohhh that's what you were doing...thanks God. Well Emma and Marcella are my two "thanks God" people. Wow. I don't know what I would do without these girls by my side. Let me tell you a little about them.

Emma is one of the closest friends I've ever had. She has been with me through thick and thicker. She's always in the mood for a good adventure and trying new things. Our personalities are pretty similar and this year we shared a very very very very small room [our apartment is not large]. Weekly late night Sweetwaters, sit down homemade dinners every night, and a workout class--we always found time in our busy schedules to, literally, just hang out..which is just what I needed sometimes.  The most important thing Emma has taught me is to just laugh. When things get ridiculous and it seems like I can't catch a break I think eh, could be worse and I just laugh. And MAN have we laughed a ton this year!

Marcella is like my partner in crime. If you see us two alone in a bar...better start walking the other way...and quickly. This girl has one of the funnest (I know it's not really a word) personalities I've  ever experienced. We have made so many good memories around Kalamazoo. Marcella has made me more outgoing than I've ever been. She is one of those girls that everyone is jealous of because she has that "so what" confidence we all wish we could have. I know there's at least half a dozen things I would not have done without her forcing encouragement and looking back, I'm so glad we did all those things!

Living in A12 has been such ride and I would not have survived without these girls. They keep me laughing. They keep me sane. And they keep me, me. Our stories are as endless as our friendship. Both of these girls will be standing by me at our wedding this summer [in 65 days...you didn't think I'd make it all the way through the post without a countdown-did you??] and I could not be more satisfied. I love you girls so MACHH and will miss you!
[and A12 collage...look at how pretty they are!]





I know, it's a lot of pictures. It's been TWO years, people. TWO YEARS.

Final's Grind

It must be around an important, busy time of the year...because I'm finally blogging again. What can I say..I am a dedicated, distracted procrastinator. I have been in such a funk this week. The semester is winding down and we were starting to see signs of spring, but now it's just dreary out. I am tired and burned out. Lately, I have been trying to keep myself positive by looking at the exciting things that are in store. Mainly student teaching & wedding things have been keeping me motivated through these last couple of weeks.

 Another thing that helps me "escape" is reading. I've been really into Adolescent books..which is strange because I didn't even read those types of books when I was an adolescent. A couple I'd recommend are Maze Runner by James Dashner, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, Sorta Like a Rockstar by Matthew Quick, and the Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. You do not have to be an adolescent to read these books; they are definitely more engaging than some Adult books I've read! 

[If you want more recommendations of books I have a few on my pinterest & if you have books to recommend to me I'm always looking!]