Memories of Our Wedding Day

bring me gratitude!

We got married a year ago today.

We didn't want a long engagement so we had only a few months to plan 'the big day'. My Uncle Peter and Aunt Flo were generous enough to offer us the use of their home and we couldn't have dreamt a better place.

It was grey day. They were calling for rain but we were not going to let that get us down. There was nothing we could do about it anyways. So we got ready.

And then it rained. Actually it poured, then it hailed. A lot!

But not for long. Soon enough the skies cleared to a brilliant blue sky.

It was a little muddy but it didn't matter.

It was so special! My grandmother and father walked me down the aisle,

my sister and niece were right up there with me,

my cousin, Lena, read an Inuit love poem,

and 6 and a half years after we met and fell in love (immediately), we said our marriage vows,

witness to our family, friends and people whose company we enjoy most.

Nick's family came from Virginia,

my father and his wife came from Budapest, Hungary,

and my brother and his wife came from Iqaluit, Nunavut

all to celebrate our love... and the coming together of our families.

My girls were there... It was the first wedding amongst us... who'd have known!

Craig was Nick's best man.

The sun was setting into a perfect evening

and the celebration began...

Nick's cooks from work

prepared the food

and it was the best wedding food ever!

(that's hail that the oysters are set on - my brilliant husband...)

Nick's chef buddy, Mike, gave us the charcuterie platter as a gift,

my work buddy and pastry chef, Tony, made our cake,

and kindly made our sweet table too. Sooo sweet.

and we were so honored to host everyone. Everyone was so kind and generous and we are forever grateful to the evening host's.. It meant the world to us.

The day was an absolute dream... It has been a truly amazing year... full of lots and lots of love, awe, growth and many, many blessings.

I love you, my Love. Always.

Thank you!

So Many Blessings

bring me gratitude!

I started my Saturday with my walk to the St. Lawrence Farmer's Market,

enjoying the landmarks

along the way.

Picked up our weekly needs. Yum!

Went for a walk to Kensington and got caught in yet another torrential downpour.

I stopped by a coffee shop to read (The Seeker's Guide), enjoy a coffee and wait for the rain to pass. Well, it lasted longer than the usual torrential downpour... and sitting in the coffee shop, reading was absolutely delicious! I don't give myself enough time to read so it was a true indulgence. The book is life changing and moved me to tears at times...

When the rain ended a couple of hours later I picked up our first year wedding anniversary gift

waited for my Love to come home and put on one of my favorite movies.

Love. Love. Love.

We got a last minute visit from Nick's family. They recently moved back here from Virginia so it's ALWAYS nice to see them!

They brought us these spectacular Gladiola's! WOW! Absolutely stunning!

My Love made some sushi and we enjoyed a night in.

I am... So blessed! So grateful! So happy!

Thank you!

Friday Night Campari and Our Little Friend

bring me gratitude.

I love Campari... it's my favorite summer drink.  It's bitter, refreshing, not high in alcohol and mixed with perrier and an orange slice, a perfect Friday night drink.

While sitting on our balcony we noticed the spider that has set up camp.  Now, I can't say that spiders are my favorite thing in the world but I'm not going to kill it or tear down it's web just because I don't like it.  It does it's own thing and unless it calls all his friends, jumps out at me and terrorizes me, we can share the same space.

Being the inspiring photographers that we are we took photographs of our little friend...

and they are truly amazing!  This little guy is about 1.5 cm!  And he was busy creating his web...

The web they create is absolutely perfect and truly spectacular!  There really are no flaws in it.  How is it so perfect? 

Truly amazing!

Anyways, it's another little thing for us to be grateful for!  If the spider can create this perfection, I must be able to create perfection as well!

Right honey?

Evolution of an Egg

brings me gratitude.

Food is life.  

The simplicity of the perfect, pure Ontario egg  

is absolutely delicious!

No Hellmann's required!

Thank you!

Our Early Morning Walks

bring me gratitude.

We are blessed to live near Toronto's harbourfront.  We take walks down whenever we can.  As you know my husband is now an early riser, as I have become as well.  

This wasn't always the case... working in restaurants your whole schedule shifts, with late wake ups and very late nights.  

Thank goodness we no longer work late nights.  Waking up early affords us more time.  More time to do whatever needs to be done and more time to spend together. 

Nick and I spend as much time together as we can... not because we are needy or clingy or "I can't spend another minute without you!"... We genuinely enjoy each other's company.

He is such a good person with a huge heart... and he is soooo funny!  We crack up all the time!  He thinks I'm funny!...  But I digress.

Our morning walks brings us back to the simplicity and perfection of life.  The ducks, swans, fish jumping out of the water to catch flies (VERY exciting for us), seagulls, blackbirds, the calm lake, the big sky... 

It's all so... perfect!

Throw some lovin' in there and there you have the perfect way to start the day.

Try to have a bad day after a morning like this... it's just not possible!

Enjoy your day!