A little more everyday

Getting things done a little more everyday! Finally able to purchase the Thank yous I wanted from Shutterfly

Here is the link for you to check out
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZNHDVq4ZtmblA

Still need to update blog, coming soon....
HSN

Thank you Fred

From The Prophet , a beautiful gift from our dear friend Fred Schmidt.

on Marriage
"Then Almitra spoke again and said, And
      what of Marriage, master?
      And he answered saying:
      You were born together, and together you
shall be forevermore.
      You shalle be together when the white wings
of death scatter your days.
      Aye, you shalle be together even in the silent
memory of God.
      But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
      And let the winds of the heavens dance
between you.
     Love one another but make not a bond of
love:
    Let it rather be a moving sea between the
shores of your souls.
   Fill each others cup but drink not from the
cup.
   Give one another of your bread byt eat not
from the same loaf.
   Sing and dance together and be joyous, but
let each one of you be alone,
   Even as the strings of a lute are alone though
they quiver with the same music.
   Give your hearts, but not into each other's
keeping.
   For only the hand of Life can contain your
hearts.
   And stand together, yet not too near together:
   For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
   And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in

each other's shadow."

What a perfect evening, I am now a wife, he is now my husband, and we are now a family.

Many posts to come, but for now I leave you with the above words.

Wedding update:

Its done! Everything was perfect.

2 Weeks Notice

Exactly 2 weeks and 10 minutes from now I will be getting married. All the planning, table naming, dress fitting, will culminate into an evening of grand times and lifetime memories. As I sit waiting for Todd to come home from being race support to our good friend Dirk ive realized many things about myself that has come about in the past couple years.

First I can not sleep in a house by myself anymore. Its been a week and my parents couch last night was a welcomed bed. Second, I enjoy making dinner for 2. Lastly theres something more enjoyable about watching shows and being able to share good and bad comments with someone who may test your theory but does not judge your opinions.

Last nigth I was lucky enough to have some great one on one time with my favorite girls in the world who I dont see nearly enough. Thank you so much to Katie Scales, my best friend and bridesmaid for getting it coordinated. To my friend Amanda, whose life is changing, life is wonderful and long and everything, and I mean everything has a reason. Thank you to Whitney for making sure we had a last stop shot at the Munkle for old times sake. Who knew rootbear could be so dangerous!

As for the next 2 weeks take note, its going to be crazy, fast, and planned.

Wedding update;

All paid up, ceremony words selected, Todd may have us entering into the Bonanza theme, and I got WEAVE! I cant wait for the Honeymoon and to start my life and every February, have my Valentine.

Flowers from Todd

Todd's great about surprising me with flowers, these are some of the latest! Ive been having some rough weeks between work and the wedding and everything that comes along with those two things in life and when I find these in my office or on the front steps it always reminds me im not alone anymore.

Tri-geek? Perhaps

The white Specialized Allez is mine

A couple months back I decided to take on the road biking as really another way to spend more time with Todd who has retired from competitive marathoning and back on the bike. But the ignition switch, the gas on the flame, the moment of no return, had to be watching Libby Bergman and Dirk Bockel rock the 70.3 in Disney.

So I decided to take on my own triathlon in the form of Jax Sprint Series #3 in Fernandina! While no where near the 70.3 my 13.25 was the first for me and boy was that a race. The results even amazed me, 7th in my grouping! Cant argue with that. Todd and I both hoped for under 1h30m and I finished 1h15m. For all you non trigeeks out there, or runners looking to convert here are a few things I learned along the way from friends, Runners World, Libby and Dirk.

First is you need to train consistent and combos. For example a swim and a ride in the same day, not necessarily together(although a BRICK, covered later, is the ultimate prep) but a dual is so important for transition purposes.

Second, do the BRICKS!!! A brick is a bike, run, bike, or combo of 2 disciplines back to back. I did a 15 miles bike and 3 mile run every Wednesday for approximately 4 weeks with the St Augustine Cycling Group in the Shores. Basically I warmed up with the group, then when they went to sprint I held on for as long as possible, one time almost 2 miles at 27 mph! Then would finish the loop do a transition and run 3 miles. I think this was key to my strong finish.

For the swim I really wish I had done a little more. I did 2 swims a week for about 3 weeks, mostly just to get the laps in, with some side/rescue/relief swimming to practice.

The day before I put aero bars on the bike, this was awesome and difficult, so I suggest maybe a little more training for that. I also got the opportunity to chat with Dirk out in CO doing his training for Kona and got some great insight(all top secret, but one important part, have fun and race)



Notice all the gear, water bucket, lucky sumo wrestler, and Gatorade
absolutely necessary!





Lastly the gear. Todd surprised me with a 2Xu one piece so I didnt have to even think about transition. With Libbys advice I wore a sports bra underneath and I was good to go. I put no tie laces on my shoes, and braided my hair, ate a banana, and there I was.



Me stretching before at the gas station, in a sundress, yes im awesome



The swim is scary as hell. When we began the master of ceremonies had everyone raise their hand who had done an open water swim, amongst the 100 people in my heat there were 3 of us! 3! WTF, sorry for the extreme language, were these people doing running into the ocean! With that I moved to the front of the group, but when the gun went off you would think everyone of them were being chased by savage beasts and they sprint all out into the waves, once there they fell like dominoes!



Im in blue onesie



After a lot of trouble, I made it through the riffraff to have a close encounter. I kept feeling someone grabbing my ankle which I shook off a few times. Finally I flipped over, began to backstroke, and asked the guy what his problem was, "Help me! Im drowning!" was his response. Was this guy serious? So lifeguard training kicked in! "Sir let go of my foot and I will help you." This happened to at least 3 other people, I would turn to breath and just hear "help!"

                                               
  




Wall of reasoning



Anywho, after I get my own heartbeat under control and realize no, drowning is not normal, ok, or even happening to me, I finish the swim about 1.5 minutes slower than desired but happy to be out of the

water. I also exit about 50th due to the altercations.



Revenge Suckas



So I go and jump on the bike and man was that fun. I went out a little conservative as it down poured all morning and the ride to the race earlier was sketchy with some areas having as much as 6 inches of standing water. Seeing that it was out and back style I figured get comfy out, then blitz back, so 18mph out, 23mph back, did my 10mile TT right at 30 minutes, Todd wasn't even ready with the camera because he expected me to be at least another 5 minutes and I must admit, passing all the jerks who tried to drown me was one heck of a fun time! Left, on your left, coming on the left, have a great day, scum-os!

Lastly we are at the run. Now under Todds direction, which more than likely should have listened to myself, I didnt wear socks on the run. If I knew then, what I know now, OYVAY! First of all, I wear road bike racing shoes, not tri-shoes. Tri-shoes do this awesome thing call draining! Heard of it, well its really useful when you are soaking wet and you ride 10 miles sweaty and dont wear socks. So now that my feet are all moist a supple lets stick them in stiff racing flats with not socks and see what happens! SURPRISE blisters and cuts mimicking my Adidas stripes! ARGH! Slowest 5k ive done in 3 years, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was slow my roll or spend the next 2 weeks in Europe with jacked feet! SO 27 minutes on the run

But all in all, good experience! Im crushing my bike right now( 60 miles last weekend avg speed 21mph) and swimming a couple times a week and race training for a couple halfs this fall(really aiming for that 1:45 or better half) and looking forward to a full sprint season next year, and who knows, maybe an Olympic distance?

I know, I know, its been far to long my friends

I realize it has been entirely to long since my last post, but so much has occured from traveling to Europe, my first triathalon, the Hursh-Fowler merger, Nannys Birthday in CT, going Paleo and so much more!

I have actually been writing quite a bit but my pics are on a seperate computer, so with that said please look for a lot of updates in the next couple weeks! So much to share!

Just an update!

Today the bill and contract was due for our wedding reception! Its an exciting time and a very confusing time. Family(not close) has been somewhat of a blockage in the persuit of happiness, and selfishness has caused some frustration, but Im standing strong, Todd at my side, and moving forward.

Im hoping to have at least one finished blog tonight on my triathlon, followed by a glimpse into returning to troop 255/211, then Europe, Work, CT, and finally run training.

Thanks for reading, exactly 2 months from tomorrow left!

Mugs and Magnets

Growing up in Jacksonville Beach Florida I never understood the need or necessity of the mug or the magnet besides function. When we would venture for the daycation to St Augustine, Daytona, or the likes, there were rows and rows of mugs and magnets at every gas station, Mcdonalds, and shell shop, why would anyone want these things? My father being the minimalist he is, never had novelties around. Also doesn't everyone get away to the same summer vacation destination each year? What about the movies, and their summer homes, why would you need a magnet at your winter home to remind you of where you know you're going, its the same every year!

Until 2001 I had never stepped foot on a plane. The Sutherland's vacation each year consisted of hauling our boat, Whipit, down to Marathon Florida to enjoy the snorkeling, fishing, diving, key lime pie and fried lobster tails. I can still remember my first trip, I was 8 my brother was 2 and they had mosquitos the size of taradactyls! We only ever went between the 2 places and approximately 49 weeks after we left we went right back, same fishing holes, same smells, same people! So whats with all the mugs and magnets everywhere!?


Fast forward to today and I go to grab a mug from the kitchen and my coffee from the fridge, I see NYC, Key West, Boston, CT, Las Vegas, and on and on. I get to walk down memory lane every morning. They are the sweet tokens to remind us of where we have been in case we never may go again. Mugs and magnets are specifically designed to reflect the region, with the colors, tastes and sometimes smells.

As I blog about the old days and drink from my Nashville mug my in-laws found me on a trip last year, im admiring all my mugs!!It keeps it simple, a small token to stir up emotions and memories. And I know they clutter the fridge, but when I wake in the morning and see my magnets as I take the creamer out, Im reminded of the girls trip to NYC(and my first ever to the big city) and Jersey Boys on Broadway, I think about taking Todd to the Keys for the first time and all the fun we had running from Tornadoes and snorkeling the reefs, my magnet of CT is a reminder of the first time I met Reina and Nanny in North Haven and seeing Yale which everyone must visit in their life. I cant wait to fill the cupboard and fridge doors with Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, Kona, St Lucia and who knows where else this year and beyond!

So cheers to Mugs and Magnets, SALUTE!

Holy Fromers.........

So lets just say I've spent the last few days immersed in travel planning!!! Todd and I have spent a lot of time thinking about the Honeymoon, and other travel plans and last Thursday we received some news that would change our next 4 months!!! But where to start the story. I guess with the bad news.

Bad news is we will not be doing a 2 week honeymoon, just 1 in St Lucia. Ok enough bad news.

Here's the Fab news; we are going to the BALTIC SEA!!!! That's right I made Presidents Club at ADP and we get to go to Stockholm, Tallinn, Helsinki, St Petersburg, and Copenhagen!

But the news gets better, we are starting that trip in INDY so we can fly back there for Fowler and Hirsch's nuptials and see all our favorite CUTTERS!

Then the news gets even better, and this is a BIG SURPRISE FOR THEM, we are heading to KONA to see Dirk compete in Ironman World Championships and help Alicia cheer him on, that's right HAWAII!!!!!!!!! We were going to make it a real surprise, but of course Dirk has goated Todd about us coming and now Todd thinks we need to tell them! Where better than a blog?(for those who dont know the Bockels, they live in Luxembourgh so we only see them when Dirk comes here to train, we met them recently but they have become great friends quickly)

Then is gets even better, as a compromise for the abbreviated Honeymoon, we are going to the Tour de France 2011!!!!!! WOOHOOO

Ok so heres how it all went down. Todd decided after many frustrating weeks running that he is retiring from racing the marathon. Being 73rd in Chicago with a time of 2:30 is definitely a way to go out on top!! With that said he made the side comment; Todd "You know since we arent going to Chicago we could go see Dirk?" Me "We could". SO the wheels begin working. With the waiting game of finding out if I was indeed top 15 in the country at ADP(ended up 9th, whoop whoop) it was difficult to make any plans between now and the wedding.

As I booked a night with the Hilton Castle at Universal and was sent over to do a "survey", not really paying attention I find myself listening to some guy named Ricky in a very KY accent tell me about Teluride, Chicago, and Disney packages. Me, "Hold up, what is this for?" Ricky "This is a special package we have for you to buy today with a great savings" Me "Listen Ricky, unless you have a package in Madrid or Kona, im booked for the year!" Shouldn't of opened my mouth, "Why yes Ms Sutherland, we do!" Next thing I know I have purchased a 7 day 6 night stay at Waikaloa Village, with rental car, 2 luau tickets and a $200 gift card for, get this $799!!!! So I did it, but, and big but, didnt ask Todd, but hey, he wont be mad right? It was his idea to go to Kona in the first place.

Well in my enthusiasm I had neglected to think about time off work. Since at that time I didnt know about club, we were already looking at 3 weeks out of work in the next 6 months. John Hunter, a good friend of Todds and a fellow Starbucks connoisseur, had said there is a splurge threshhold, and you have to find it. Well I dont know if I found the splurge but definitely the time away from work. EEEEEEEK

Debate ensues, Todd" Heather we will just have to go after Little 500, there is no way I can take more time off work." Me, "Come on, it will be great, Baltic Sea, Hawaii, St Lucia and Madrid/Lux, we need to take advantage of time now."

Compromise, Baltic, Hawaii, St Lucia, all just one week and then next summer FRANCE AND LUX!

So, I cant wait!!! I cant wait to see the Baltic, I cant wait to see the Bockels and watch Dirk crush the Ironman, I cant wait to get married and then St Lucia!!! What a ride this will be!!


Wedding update:
Plans are set, now just the execution of the plans made

Taking my dress to the seamstress week after next to start the fitting process

Started a second round of P90X to ensure no back boobs(thank you Tosh.O for making me aware)

Biking is going awesome, 47 miles last Sunday!!

Trying new things.........Am I crazy?

Between work, P90X, training for a half marathon, planning a wedding and at some point taking a shower and sleeping I've decided to try something new, bike racing! As Jem Fromant says(one of Todd's 1000 FB friends) a "proper sport." After having the Cutters stay for 2 weeks, seeing Little 500(and the fact that those women have "proper" butts) and witnessing Libby and Dirk get after it at Ironman Orlando, I just had-ta!

"This is the cool way to relax on your bike"-Todd


I must admit, with the white wedding dress, the idea of a giant scab or sling for a broken collar bone does make me think twice, but I went yesterday for the first time and yes Libby I'm hooked.


For those who don't ride, here is a run down of the correct first day thanks to Todd! I will say I have been spinning for years, some Saturdays for 2 hours. And while that does prepare you in certain aspects, the fixed bike versus the road bike is a whole new world.

Before you get on the bike, you need a few essentials. First a shami! This is basically a nice soft diaper sewn into a pair of hopefully breathable shorts. They should be snug but not cutting off your circulation. Second a helmet, if you think its cool to not wear one you're an idiot and should not ride a bike. Water and a little nutrition before hand is important. I have been running for the better part of 10 years and have never been hungry even after a marathon, but I was starving after my ride. And of course a bike! I'm fortunate enough to have good friends who enjoy sports so Sasha and Libby both offered up. I ended up on Sasha's Synapse Cannondale with pedals that you slide your foot into(vs locking in.) Plan to budget some dinero for this sport and if you cant get the right gear wait until you can. You will be safer, more comfy, and ultimately enjoying yourself.

OK now you are ready somewhat. As I woke yesterday I also put on Bodyglide(thanks for the advise Felicia Regan) and sunscreen, I don't want to work on my "Pro-tan" -Jason Fowler.

We arrived at the boat ramp on Shore Drive. Took the bike's out and began learning. First we pumped up tires. Between 100 and 120 lbs is good(we went 110). This in itself is a new challenge; there are no kick stands on road bikes so its a delicate act of balancing, loosening the seal, pumping and doing it all over again.

Now for some White Lightening! This stuff is awesome. Its a cleaning lubricant. Putting it on is a feat in itself. Hold the bike, turn the pedal backwards and spray at the chain then pat your head, rub your belly and chew gum at the same time........get it?

Mount the bike, couple things. First you never ever put your foot over the top tube, so not cool, you have to swing around the back(first few times I managed to hit the tire, oh yeah looks who's awesome.) Ok now put your foot in, and push off, oh wait this bike weights about 3lbs, and I push down and the whole thing goes down! Needless to say this took some time.

So the next 30 minutes is filled with FAST heartbeats and SLOW mph, I'm talking about 6mph! I was so scared. Coming from the beach cruiser world where your feet do all of the work this was scary. Im 28 years old and have never been on a bike with hand brakes, it was like throwing someone from Arkansas who cant swim in the ocean. To quote Todd "that has to be the worst I have ever seen anyone at the start of a biking adventure and I'm pretty optimistic, but that was bad Heather. Surprisingly by the end you did great, lets pull the trigger on your bike." So after many expletives and some advice from Todd I finished the day having gone 24 miles, average speed about 17mph on the second loop, and hit 22.6 mph.



Check out my "rookie mark."


You finish feeling worked out but not beat up, your lungs are open, the wind is cool, and the views are beautiful! I cant wait to ride again. I went and bought shoes and clip in pedals and another shami already.




So am I crazy, maybe. I was talking with Juan Mas after our 5 mile loop this morning and he pointed out that all bikers get hurt, its expensive and if the novelty wears off well.... While the percentage of hits, falls, and other sillyness is higher(some guy up in Jax was so angry at a biker last week he stabbed the guy), there is less stress fractures, ITB issues, over heating and well, you just dont feel like the pavement beat you up when you finish. As for novelty, with Todd, the Cutters, The Bockels, Libby and Neil and the Regans, I dont think theres a lack of inspiration or people to ride with.


All I know is I went and bought clip in pedals, Diadora shoes, another shami, and gloves of my own and will be riding again Wednesday in the South if not sooner!!!!



GET GET GET

Zach Thomas Photography, nuff said

SO, as you can see now, there was no immediate words that could describe my excitement, the photos are amazing!! Little back story:

Todd and I looked long and hard at photographers because there are so many great ones in St Augustine, but we had a few specifics we needed. First and foremost we are not your typical sappy couple, its meaningful, its fun, its complicated. So we wanted someone who could capture that and who was willing to look outside the box to depict what Todd and I have. So this lead us to Zach Thomas Photography. Zach(ztphoto.com) is a local guy who amongst other things rocks in a band and takes sweet photos. When Todd had suggested him we had a quick phone call one day that basically went like this:

Me: Hey Zach here's the deal, I dont want hundreds of photos of Todd and I rolling around in the sand kissing on the beack or walking hand in hand in front of some house that isnt ours. I want something significant, I want 2 good photos

Zach: Do you have an idea or theme in mind?

Me: NO but Todd and I met through our professions, mainly I went in to solicit his CPA firm to partner with my company(ADP shameless plug) and his secretary thought I was cute and put me on his schedule. Todd actually cancelled the appointment at first because he doesnt meet with sales people but when his secretary insisted that he wanted to meet me, he took the appointment. I thought he was actually interested in buying/partnering, he was just interested in partnering emmmhmmmmm you know what i mean.

Zach: ok heres what im thinking, office romance, 1950s, sitting across a desk, its going to be a totally different process but it will be cool

Me: lets do it

Zach then hooked me up with Tara Ferreira who is a stylist for photos. I had actually seen some of her work on their family postcard(sethandtara.com). She came over with a few dresses and that was it!

Next thing you know im shoving quesadilla in my face on a sunday while Tara magically created this amazing beehive, beautiful lashes and the always neccessary attempt in the 50's to be as pale as possible. By the way as Tara says regarding lashes, "get ready to live!"

All in all Im looking forward to our second photo shoot with a little different theme, and of course the wedding!!!!!!

Inside the 6 and so much has happened

OK, I know I know, its been way to long since my last post, especially considering I said I would have a series of updates, but a lot has happened personally, professionally, and of course with the wedding.

So let's start with the why? Why haven't I posted? I mean really, how long can it take to type my own thoughts and submit on blogger? Well first things first Ive been working about 6 days a week for the past month attempting to make Presidents Club at my company which is a BIG deal; for my ego, pocketbook, and future with ADP(greatest company ever, and I mean that.) Normally this hasty pace doesn't occur outside of selling season, however as anyone reading this that's in sales knows all to well, you have your ups and your downs and well the first 6 months were down, way down. So, you will all be happy to know I'm pacing well and received a promotion this week to Senior District Manager, thank you very much!! I will know about Prez Club in about 2 weeks, keep me, my sanity, and Todd's unparalleled patience in your thoughts!! We get to go to the Baltic Sea for a week(Ive never left this country other than the DR with ADP in my life)

Next, and this was big, we changed the location of the reception. Several factors came into play and after having a very helpful conversation with my favorite St Augustine Accountant Ashley Trimboli about how much OCD I have and the panic that would follow we decided to move and are happy to announce we will be at The Loft and Rooftop of the White Room. We are so excited about the change which still limits the number of guests but with the 90 invites that went out we are NOT experiencing the 75% RSVP rate, actually close to 100% so we needed the space for sure. With the Nights of Lights being the night before, it will be beautiful from the Rooftop overlooking the main street down the river and we now have a dance floor and trolley to move guests to and from!!!

In addition we asked Mayor Joseph Boles to be our officiant and are looking forward to the personality he will bring to our day!

Other quick updates, our engagement photos are, pardon the explicative, BADASS! No other way to describe it, I'm so overwhelmed that any educated artsy specific articulation of them will have to wait until I post the finals on a blog; but I will say Tara Ferreira and Zach Thomas outdid themselves. I feel lucky to know such talented artist and look forward to our wedding photos and other fantastic opps to use them both in the future.

So that's it for now. Look for the engagement photos soon, as well as other details about flowers, and my new adventure, bike racing, which should be interesting! On a personal note, I'm one week out from P90X first round and its amazing, I will certainly pop those pics up and I'm up to 11 miles this training season already(maybe I will do the marathon this fall.)

Oh Zazzle.com, How I Love thee, let me count the ways

Alright ladies, brides to be, party planners, bridal shower givers, baby shower planners, mom's, sister's and heck even you men out there you need to listen up regarding invitations, ZAZZLE ROCKS! Everything from invites to postcards to t-shirts, stamps and stickers, you can customize anything! Upload your own photos, use one of theres, the site is super easy to use, they have a quality team that emails you same day with corrections and the product comes on time and totally professional looking!!

I even made a huge mistake on the original order with a typo, and they sent me an email requesting me to change the order then when they didnt hear from me deleted the order and refunded my money in full!! AWESOME!!!

My purchases so far have been Save the Date Postcards and personal stamps!!! I will be also ordering bridal shower invites and maybe some fun surprises for our guests! Anywho, you have to check it out!

zazzle.com

Update: Officiant Mayor Joseph Boales
Rehearsal Dinner planned
Still a whole lotta lotta!

A Dedication to some unlikely suspects in an unexpected place……CUTTER DYNASTY

For the many of you who read this rambling of mine I will now leave the topic of our wedding momentarily and fill you on the past few weeks leading up to the most Epic of sporting events I have ever witnessed and a family of friends stretching across the country that we call the CUTTERS. For some you may be familiar with the 1979 film starring Dennis Quaid amongst others, about a teen who is obsessed with Italian Bike racing. While in college he and 4 other friends create the bike team Cutters, referencing the stone cutters at the quarry they hang out at and win their first year in a last lap sprint. The film is loosely based on Phi Delta Fraternity where our history of the Cutters team picks up with the brothers Randy and Steve Ressinger(sp). The Cutters as we know them started in 1984 by the brothers and the tradition began. Each year teams of at least 3 riders and up to 4 make the long and grueling training schedule starting spring semester through the cold Indiana winter, followed by a nice 2 week training in Florida and end with the series of events leading to the ultimate in collegiate sports Little 500. The event similar to Indy 500, is a 200 lap bike race where teams “Mount your Schwinns”, exchange bikes, sprint, and eat laps to complete the race fastest and first. There are so many more details that lead up to this event and that’s what this blog is about.

When Todd first started courting me in December I received a text on New Years Eve 2008 that he was so excited to take out “The Cutters, especially Patches because it was his first big guy night out.” Little did I know at that time what a night out with Patches would entail but right then I didn’t have a clue of what he was talking about. What’s a Cutter? Why is this 35 year old entertaining collegiates? Oh lord what am I getting into here? A few months later as we wrapped up the Boston Marathon I came home and Todd flew to Indiana to see the Cutters 3-peat and historical 10th win. I didn’t join him that year because of work and never would have appreciated the event as much as I did now knowing what I know.

Fast forward to winter 2009 the Sunday after Christmas as Todd and I prepare for the arrival. Most thought I was crazy(im sure others had less niceties to say about me having 5 young men staying in the house) but as the guys came to town for 2 weeks I had my reservations. Dirty? Weirdos? Girls? To my surprise and thankfulness they were amazing! Just like Jim Kirkham, Jason Smith, Chris Vargo and the adopted Sweet Jason Sonneborn I met before them, what a great group of guys; Clayton Feldman , Eric “Hazel Bear” Young, Michael “Patches” Schroeder , Zack ”Hank” Lusk and Sam ”Tripple Thick” Harbison .Determined, polite, wow! This also was my first experience around the sport and its athletes. The gear, the terminology, and the training. I was able to participate in TT(Time Trials) at the Junction, man can they ride fast! They can also cook, clean, and carry things well. We had a ton of fun between new years and surfing on the internet for interesting topics, thank Hank for that one!

So as they left us at the end of the 2 weeks, little did I know(although I found out later Kirkham was the only one to know) that Todd would pop the question soon thus officially also marrying me into the Cutter family in addition to being a Neville(which also brings about some Little 500 Champ History in the form of Kori and the Road Runners.)

So here we are flying to Indy, and this is where the blog becomes the inevitable list of silly diatribe, chalked with double meaning, real meaning, and well, ill leave some to the imagination. Here we go:
“Domestic Partners”
Theodore Fredrick Kirkham
4 mile Campus trekking
Laughing Planet(LP)
Hazel, Patch, and Hank show up with big hugs
Todd and Heather Neville
Candy Stores
Tulips at Sample
Track, Senior Outfits, Jorts, Bad Tats, See Sam
Blue Ridge
Upland Caroline, Clayton, Vargo, Caitlin, Erik and Sasha, Triples, iCrapper
Andys House- Rev Taylor Big Damn Band, Emorys belly paintings
Bake house every morning for hours, Fowler, wearing Cutters, Allison and Sasha, Kate
Fabian says “Cutters WIN LITTLE 5”
GO GO’s House
Quarry adventure-Slant Rock, Rooftop, No parking signs, Todd the Rabbit
Nicks-Sink the Biz, Panties, Fat Chicks,
Face Loops
Flaming Lips
Little 5 Track Trecking
Nicks Mediation of “The Biz”, Late night pizza with Randy
Bakehouse and Patches Song
Running Errands at Feskes Garage
“Oh man im glad we got those crates” JK
LP with Erica, Allison, Team
Kilroys Breadsticks
Birth Canal
Burn outs
Todd as Clayton
Womens Little 500, Caroline’s Scare, Teter WINS
Toilet Paper Convo
Chicks with Diamonds
“We don’t wear pants”
Frat parties at 7am
Cutter Tailgate, Big Blue
Alumnae lunch, Kori’s Win, sneaking waters, cookies
Infield pass
Get gaps
“God says GO Cutters”
CUTTERS WIN LITTLE 5 TWICE
Robert and Kay
“Best loss we could have ever had” BKB Coach
Soaking Face Loop at Nicks
Scholars Inn
Todds receives Little 5 ring
Party, warm wine, patch and todd jagering, 3 gens of dance off
Sasha chair jumping
Kilroys cap off with Sonne and Elizabeth
Pizza X
Never met Woj’s wife

Fwew, what a trip. This list doesn’t begin to describe the love and friendships forged over the lifetime of the CUTTERS. The “W” is so important but so is the ride. As the next years riders are yet to be discovered, and generations of CUTTERS are born, I know without a doubt the perpetuity with which the family goes on will be unwavering. Whether here in Florida for Winter training, at Robert and Kays sleep over, the BakeHouse and Laughing Planet for their extreme generosity to our riders and the foundation which it sits upon, Todd, Fowlers and Jims constant planning, and Jim Kirkham’s lifetime commitment, the dynasty will be. One Love, see you next year Cutters!

Something Blue

"Mary in Blue, Lover be true"

So a new habit of googling everything led me to the origin of the famous and ever lasting poem. A little out of order but a detail already received. And for those who think "color" in wedding dresses is not traditional, you need a history lesson. In fact, early 19th century most wedding dresses were blue to symbolize modesty and purity, most commonly found on Mother Mary.

As previously mentioned, I did decide to illicit a bridesmaid;Thank you and Sorry Katie ;) Prior to the decision, not that there was a question of who, but if you recall a question of having any attendants at all, Katie surprised me a bit ago with an amazing detail. The sash above is to be sewn into my dress. What an awesome idea!

Just for a little introduction, Katie Murphy and I met many years ago in the now famous(or infamous, I don't know which I will admit to) Myra Pool! It was 2006 and what a FUN summer that was. Little did we know at the time what a great friendship would stem from that silly pool!(And many others for that matter)

Katie since then married her best friend Tom and they have Little Tommy and live just blocks from my parents in Jacksonville Beach. I was fortunate enough to meet their entire family and look forward to seeing them grow!

Detail 1: The Ring

Many of you asked, so here it is!

As Todd says he did "lots of listening.

My ring is a JB STAR design with beautiful detail filigree platinum setting with 100 accent diamonds. The main stone is a 1.7k radiant cut and a trapezoid on either side.

The ring is interesting, complicated, and a little "old lady gaud"(as Todd says) just like me!

Its perfect!

Making a List and Checking it Twice

I'm not sure if Santa is real, but some of the school children riddles certainly provide for a good foundation on proper planning. Being that today is exactly 8 months until the "BIG" day, Ive decided that the next series of posts will concern the devilish details that make this event us.

As some have read on Facebook, the dress has been deposited(60% down, fwew) and we are well on our way. I had a great experience at LOVE Boutique in Jacksonville Beach with Liza as my guide. They have an extensive collection of dresses and a very cute staging area. Some things to know when buying the dress that I found helpful and stumbled upon along the way.

First, go in with some idea of what you like. Go through magazines, look online etc and have an idea. But when you get there be open to what the owners and others have in mind as well. They see a lot of women and are familiar with the dresses. And heck, you're only doing this once right? Try on some crazy stuff too!!! Plan on being there for 2 hours, so if you line up more than one place in a day, give yourself time. Also I dont recommend more than 2 venues in one day.

Next, keep in mind that the dress is based on measurements that are taken now and not after you "lose those few pounds." So the lesson here is be realistic. Don't order a size smaller because you "will fit in", and don't kill yourself to lose a ton of weight. I must make a side note that I actually measured at a size 4 but purchased a size 6. I can always take a dress in, I cant always remove pounds. Plus remember he proposed to you the way you are now, not what he wants you to look like for 4 - 7 hours 9 months from now.

Lastly, think about accessories from the whole perspective from the get-go. What will it look like in photos? How much will my feet hurt? Veil, shoes, jewelry, etc. Keep in mind unless you are doing something hip like red or pink shoes, you don't want mismatched whites!!!! BUT for me I think most of the dyeables were hideous!

With that said, Im extremely excited about my dress. And to add to the excitement, as I flipped through the pages of Martha's 15th Anniversary Wedding Magazine I turned the page and there was MY dress!!!! Being the HUGE Martha Fan I am I feel so honored that I and her staff have like taste.

SO I look forward to sharing the details and hearing every ones thoughts. I did decide to have one attendant and I asked her yesterday at the fitting and she said "yes." Katie Murphy Scales will be assisting me throughout the process, the day of, and without a doubt for years to come. Thank you Katie for being a best friend, confidant, and well, a whole lot of fun!

As I cruised home from Jax Beach back to the Aug yesterday I heard a sentence from a Bob Marley Greatest Hits CD that Id never noticed before. "As it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end, One Love" IM sure its from the Bible or such, but he definitely vocalizes it best.
'

Latest specs:
To photo booth or not to photo booth, that is the budget question.

I finally decided to do the Honeymoon Wedding Registry. Link to come

Lastly, as I had my car getting an oil change I walked over to Defores, I couldnt take it and put the deposit on the spot! NEVER go to a cake place right before lunch!

The Devil is Definitely in the Details

Decisions have been made, dates have been set, plans have been solidified and things are shaking. But man its hard to tell someone no. No I don’t like your dress, no we are going with another venue, no we like this other photographer. At the end of the day, those who wed, plan, photo, bake, boil, serenade all are artists, and there are a lot of good ones. Versus my career and a day to day battle where I challenge rival payroll systems, at the end of my very long days, im proposing and demoing someone else’s brainchild. No one feels bad to tell me no, and honestly it doesn’t hurt my feelings(although I hate to loose, especially to other service bureaus. Boooooo)

So here’s the anecdote to our life together; the day of and beyond details.

Todd will be running RAGNAR as his bachelor party. He has promised to wear sunscreen and be extra careful as he and 7 of his faithful running friends take off from Tampa in an attempt to break the state record by running over 200 miles to Daytona relay style. Wish him luck(and me since he will be gone Thursday through Saturday.) Patrick and Tim, im holding you both responsible for getting him home on time, un sunburned, and in one piece.

Dress decision has been made, I will not post but will respond to email requests(Todd frequents the blog.) I will say its from the first place I went, Love Boutique in Jacksonville Beach, Florida and is totally opposite from where I originally went. Shoes im still debating(also only available on request.) My dear friend Erica Reynolds from Sutra in Jax Beach will be dealing with hair! I will be getting extentions "cause girl you know everyones got them." And Diedra Leake will continue to improve my skin. P90X has been placed into the workout regimen to start after the Gate River Run in 2 weeks.

Our ceremony will be in the Lobby of the beautiful Lightner Museum in Historic downtown St Augustine followed by a Spanish tapas reception at The Tasting Room featuring a fabulous menu and Champagne reception. Solo will be playing and im really looking forward to the celebration.

We, after much debate(all good) decided on Zach Thomas Photographyand are looking forwardto his artistry.

Flowers will be a combo of poppies and ranunculous roses and black calla lilies from Liz Stewart Design.

Invitations are almost ordered but as Todd says “remind him of me and my big eyes” and are titled, “Whooooos in love”

And then the cake, this is still on the table! Im a function over form person, so it will be yummy.

I think that’s it!

Oh I almost forgot the Honeymoon! In classic, movie fashion, Todd and I will be leaving from our reception and heading to the airport! This was one thing I insisted upon and im so happy Todd went along with it. We will be departing on the 22nd from Orlando to St Lucia for 5 days. Then heading to Madrid for a week! I cant tell you how excited I am. I will have our Honeymoon Wishes Registry up this week!

On a side note, thank you to everyone who has requested blog updates! Life and love has been incredibly busy and free time was spent attempting to sleep, learn Espanol and continue towards my race training! Now that selling season is over, work will resume as normal and I can get focused on this wedding!

Happy Groundhogs Day

Happy Groundhogs Day!

So why the big deal? A year ago today Todd invited me to Tips for Kids, a fundraiser where local “celebrities” serve dinner at various restaurants around town and the tips go to Boys and Girls Club. Funny thing, Tips for Kids is tonight and its Groundhogs Day! Lets just hope this year he doesn’t invite all his girlfriends!

Last year I had just moved to St Augustine and received a text from Todd to come. I didn’t know anyone in town so he had me call his friend Ashley and meet up with her. It was a great event and I ended up also befriending, Don, Ashley’s now husband, Dr Stu, Seth Corneal and Leah Beck! The topic that I really find funny and that Todd constantly pokes at me about is how there were 3 girls that he invited that night who he was “dating” and invited me just as a new person in town. That night we ended up sitting with the Mayor in the main dining area away from all 3 girls and as Todd says “you just fell in love.” I recall a little differently. Thinking to myself, “is he serious? this guy is insatiable!” Regardless I was a bit intrigued since the 3 girls were so different and all basically chasing him around, so I had to find out for myself what the big deal was!

Prior to my moving to St Augustine Todd and I’s interaction was simply business; But there is the fern incident. He sent me a fern to my parents house where I was staying the week before I moved after a small procedure I had done(nothing serious)! My mom asked “Who is Todd?” I just replied “some bald CPA guy, I don’t know what his deal is.” After moving to St Augustine, I was still sorting out some medical stuff and had to head back to Jax. To make an everlasting impression Todd sent a bouquet of roses with a note that read “ I know you think your $@1t doesn’t stink, I guess we will find out tomorrow.” (ill leave the type of procedure to imagination)I was blown away. Come to find out recently he was panicking after this because I didn’t call for a few days. I guess girls not chasing him didn’t happen often? After many attempts at texting me for dates , the gloves came off so to speak and I finally gave in to a suedo date on Valentine’s Day! Shortly followed by the Paul Harris Dinner and our first out of town together, The Gate River Run!

So here we are, 1 fern, a few dozen roses, Plumeria earrings and an engagement ring later! Lets hope this is not like the Bill Murray movie and I have to redo the whole year! LOL From here on out im looking forward to actual wedding planning activities! As our Mayor Joe Boles said at Rotary Lunch, “Todds very smart for trapping her.”

Wedding Plans
November 21st Tasting Room Reception, Initialed napkins and a real wedding cake.
Ceremony, looking like the Lightner Museum Lobby! Fingers Crossed!

Another one bites the dust...........

Another one bites the dust……………….

No this is not about Todd and being the next victim to matrimony. Rather this is one song that plays over and over in my head whenever I think of my Dad. That and “Riders on the storm.” These are his go to songs. Every morning my Dad would take my brother Addison and I to the nanny and school respectively and we would listen to either of these 2 songs in the suburban. “Are you ready? HEY duh duh duh, Another one bites the dust!” It was slightly embarrassing but it was the one time of day that my Dad was always fun. We also would either play “Knock Knock” jokes or the never funny “Why don’t ducks fly upside down?” I seriously think that was told every morning between 1987 and 1992 between Myra St and San Pablo Elementary! Oh and we will never forget always trying to find the runner lady with the thong and long braid!

So why the back story? Well I’m now 28 years old(thank you January 23rd for sneaking up so quickly) and I have always been a Daddy’s girl. So much so that we are cut from the same mold and for the better part of my teens and early 20’s this was a difficult relationship. He’s a confident, independent, intelligent man who at the very least is perceived as stoic. Worked his whole life for his family, 13 days on 1 off at Southern Bell/Bell South/ATT, for as long as I can remember so we could have better than he ever did.

Weekend before last at the Bridal Extravaganza ( awesome if you are 21 to 25, me ehh) as we were sitting and discussing the rows of vendors, cakes, men dressed in jail outfits(ball and chain reference here) 18 year olds modeling wedding dresses(designed for 18 year olds) he very nonchalantly slid into conversation that he had just visited a bridal boutique, The Black Tie. Me “Were you fixing their phones? Dad “No.” Me “Well what were you doing in there?” Dad “Looking at brides dresses. They had to help me out I about had a heart attack, I was a blubbering idiot.” SHOCK!!!!!!!!

I have been surprised by my father only a few times in my life. First when he cried at his 50th Birthday party. Second he sent me a card one year “just because” which I cherish. Lastly the Christmas snow globe which I keep on my desk to this day. It was one of the only gifts he has given all on his own. But this bridal shop thing was surprising. My Dad, the one who still buys my Christmas Tree and lugs it in the house and fixes things when I need it(even if it means driving all the way to St Augustine after a 12 hour work day.), who I never thought would let another man into my life, went and looked at dresses. This is it, this is a sign that he’s all in. Todd he loves you, he will probably never tell you, or if he does it will be as he stands next to you out of the side of his mouth. But he loves you, and I’m thankful and happy for that!

Dad, I don’t think I’ve said it out loud in years, I Love You.

Wedding update:
This is not easy. As my dear friend Ashley says, “this is a job.” And as my other dear friend Ashley filled in Todd “meet in the middle when it comes to getting things done.”
Meeting with a venue this week but 99% sure. Ceremony spot has changed about 3 times. Want to know why? Check out the St Augustine Record today January 26th cover story about the vendors!

Press the Flesh

Press the Flesh

To the credit of my personal social analyst, Fred Schmidt, I dedicate this title. He is a constant reminder of the world as a whole of truths and consistently challenging your opinions on religion, love, children, sex, and of course politics. I cannot remember a single day this past year that Fred and I were in the same place and I did not learn something new, about either the world or myself. Our first meeting was at the Gate River Run in Jacksonville and he posed the following, “What is the first major world event you remember?” My answer, “I was sleeping at my cousin's house in Middleburg and my aunt woke us to watch the fall of the Wall. She said this is important and you need to remember it.” This is the kind of person Fred is. While controversial at times, he brings out the intelligence in all of us.

Yesterday while at Starbucks Fred says to Todd “you really have the ability to press the flesh.” Now those who know Freddie also know his flair for semantics to entice controversy and the ability to take a wholesome conversation to a relatively sexually fired up place. So I immediately question this “press the flesh.” Quite simply and to my surprise harmless, this idiom from the 1920s simply refers to the act of shaking hands in politics. I found this to be an interesting time for his choice of words because if there is one thing that has been a source of anxiety with the wedding, it’s the phrase that keeps popping up “the politics of the guest list.”

2 things that I want to be very clear on whilst I enter this topic. First is I am who I am because of my network support group that consists of family, friends, teachers, runners, fundraisers, lovers, and heck even passersby. I attribute my success, my happiness, and the foundation of who I am to all of you collectively and I love you for this. Second contrary to popular belief, I don’t not have a little leprechaun with a pot of gold under my staircase, or a genie in a bottle to grant me unlimited wealth, or a winning Powerball ticket (I'm actually holding out for this one).

As if Bridal magazines, advertisements and as I'm sure I will find out today, EXTRAVAGANZAS (WGV Ultimate Bridal Show, sounds like a WWE event) don’t create enough anxiety about the timing and the flowers and weather, and expectations not to mention budget, you have a select microcosm that is your circle of friends and without fail will subject you to the ultimately uncomfortable (and mostly inappropriately timed) question of “When’s the wedding?” Once a bride to be, it feels like a loaded question, "Are they assuming they are invited?" It's truly a phenomenon. What's more absurd is the feelings that are seemingly hurt when I have not even set a date yet and that same person, in the same breath will say, “Remember it's your wedding.” I haven’t experienced the full brunt of this but I can say with many friends recently married, this is ridiculous! Some of my best friends have been wed and I was not there, nor invited. And we are still friends, in some cases with a stronger bond than before. A wedding for me (and from talking to most brides) is a personal and private affair. Whether 50 or 500 guests, someone won't be invited, why must they take it so personal?

With that, I'm done talking about it. By no way is my guest list directly reflective of my whole life, rather it is a snapshot to capture the moment when we say “I do” and pour sand into a candle holder, or light 2 votives, or stomp on plates or whatever we decide to do. Please know the best is yet to come, anniversaries, babies, milestones, and the worst, people moving away, job loss, deaths. Intimacy is crucial and will be reflected in our small ceremony and reception. It is not that we don’t cherish every relationship we have, but rather that we want to afford our family this brief moment in our lives before moving on to the rest of living. With all respect in the world, if you aren’t invited it is not personal nor a slight on anyone individually.

As in the words of Jimmy Kirkham, "One Love"
Not to be outdone by Fred Schmidt “Good Luck Todd/Heather” post #14522

Wedding Plan Decisions:
Location The Tasting Room St Augustine
Date November 21st 2010
100%

How I "text" your mother

Sorry for the cheesy play on a really bad sitcom. If you like it, please don't take this personally, but I think it's fitting.

Todd and his family are probably the most fantastic people when it comes to recognition. Not the type where they pass out a metal or bake you a cake (although Judy does provide cookies and brownies regularly that are delicious.) They do things such as hand written thank yous for dinner or "letting them stay with us" and phone calls to see how you are doing after a big triumph at work. Truly old fashion, genuine, personal and consistent whether a huge feat or smallest hurdle. This has rubbed off on my soon to be husband but in a completely different, and reflective of the times format, that of SMS!

3 things have spurred my fascination with this. The first, Todd called my mom the eve of our engagement to check up on her and asked "Susan did you ever think you would find out your daughter is engaged via text message?" Short story so you all don't think I didn't call my own mother first! After Todd proposed, I snapped a photo of the ring and MMS it to my mom. There are a few reasons for this but the main is shock value! Imagine, lunch with your daughter stuffing yourself with the most delicious BBQ chicken pizza, and then 20 minutes later bam, LIFE CHANGER! What's great is when I called to ask if she had opened the text "of some guy on US1 doing something crazy" she couldn't figure out how to operate the phone and began chatting about the football game and how amazing the wood delivery was!!! LOL!!! Then of course the freak out because my dad nor Todd had let her in on this.

Second is Judy, my future mother-in-law sent me a text on Sunday that inquired as to my first full day of being engaged! How thoughtful!!

Lastly, as I look at my cell phone bill and number of text messages I see a theme! Between the hours of 7am and 4pm Todd and I speak less than an average of 5 minutes a day. I feel like we communicate better than many couples, but only talk 25 minutes a week! How is it possible that the person I feel closest to, that I know more than anyone in the world, that I'm marrying for goodness sake I only talk to for 25 minutes!! And if you were to ask my manager, he would tell you that Todd began our relationship with texts, mostly about the Cutters, way to a girl's heart I tell ya.

But here's the deal. I think we utilize the texting revolution in an old fashion way. All in all there are about 25 texts on average a day, about 5 words and usually "How is the day going?" with responses like "Great" or "Crushing it" or "I love you" followed by song lyrics(for fun)! Just out of reach enough to miss, but close enough to keep us coordinated. Sounds old fashioned if you ask me. Do you remember before there were cell phones and email? Men and women went to work and didn't talk until they came home. My parents have been married 35 years and still stick to this.

I know that the immediate satisfaction of gen x and y come up frequently. In fact I think this breaks up some couples. Too much texting, too much facebook, phone calls, twitters and tweets, where you went to the bathroom, the color of your bra, what is on your mind?(FB), what are you doing right now(myspace)? But the fact is technology, the Internet and the likes have presented its own set of challenges and made life wonderful as well. I think as long as we keep the human element and our wits about us, all it can do is enhance the organic experience.

With that, I will leave this post with the advice of a stranger.

As Todd and I celebrated the start of our lives together that night at Casa Monica, the couple adjacent to us left with this advice as they finished celebrating their 29Th Anniversary:
She leaned in and without a moment of hesitation or thought and said here is what makes it last

First it's YOUR wedding~ Second say Please and Thank you~ Third Lots of Kisses

Simple, I love it

Wedding Plan Update:
Decision 1- Ceremony Under the Pavillion on the Green right in downtown!

This Changes Everything

My future father-in-law Tim,today suggested to me that I write a diary to remember the happiest times in my life. His specific words were “you can fill a room with happiness my friend” and you should write it down to share with everyone because its a special ability. This is in reference to my Griswald Family style of celebration; over the top, all inclusive, and if nothing else simply fun. Today was most important to set this off, so here we go!

As Todd and I were riding back to my new home in St Augustine Florida we began having a very important discussion that all couples should be able to have, one where you are completely exposed and vulnerable. So after a great lunch with my mom and dad at Mellow Mushroom and trip to Home Depot, after which my father actually chased down a man selling firewood(because he needed a truck load!) our discussion was prompted after hearing the Dido song “Thank you”. More specifically the line, “for giving me the best day of my life.” Todd turned to me and said “What is the best of yours?” Me”The best ever.” LONG PAUSE 2 came to mine, the first was my graduation from college and the second was a selling day in Asheville NC where we hit on all cylinders, it was cold, crisp that early morning with wild turkeys about and the sale that I created went off without a hitch! So of course I posed it right back and he came up with 4. When Justin Taylor ran and won the tri-fecta, Little 5 win Number 10, The day he hit the Chicago Marathon at 2:30(I was there for that one) and the day he learned he had passed his CPA. This transitioned into the always funny topic of our wedding. So as I made a quick joke about planning our “family reunion” as to not set off anyone in town that I was really planning our wedding(small town, very small) our song came over the radio “Use Somebody” Kings of Leon. He sang the first line, and then said “I think you should start planning our wedding on Monday.” I laughed and agreed and he said no really, I paused and began to become overly hot and bothered, was this it? Am I getting proposed to? Is this like the time in the airplane coming home from our New York/North Haven trip that he showed me a ring on the I-phone?
Now keep in mind its January 9th, 2010, the coldest and longest recorded days in a row of hard freeze temperatures in north Florida, and im getting HOT! I cry, laugh uncontrollably thinking he is putting me on and he asks me to reach under the seat. It was hilarious: me “under the seat?” Todd: yes. Me: “What seat? My seat? Theres no under the seat its electric stuff” Todd: “ NO theres a plastic thing, open it up” Me: fidgeting like a nutball finally opens it up and a little black box slides around. I pick it up and start to cry/laugh. Had someone driving in the next lane looked over, they would have thought both my parents, brother and everyone I know died at once! I opened it, looked at him, then down! IT WAS THE RING!!! The ring we happened to go look at while shopping for Christmas presents 3 weeks earlier! It is beautiful, eclectic, old fashion and perfect! Im so happy. I look at him, “are you asking me? Is this really it?” Todd: Yes.
So its officially official! IM engaged to be married! Alert the press, let the bells ring, this is it! Sometime this year(December most likely) I will be Heather Lane Neville! Wow, that’s so crazy the first time you don’t write your own name.
By far Todd I want to Thank you, for the best days of my life! I love you.
So with that here begins my diary. January 9th 2010 the day of my engagement. This is going to be a happy year. The year I Heather Lane Sutherland, gets married.