We Got Hitched!

It's hard to believe, but our wedding day finally came!  The entire day and week that followed was absolutely wonderful.  On Friday, July 8th both sides of the family were able to gather for dinner.  It was a beautiful evening and we were able to enjoy ourselves on the restaurant's patio.

 I was so excited when Elissa arrived!  She came all the way from Florida for the occasion!  

Thanks, Elissa!

Saturday, July 9th couldn't come soon enough, but it did and here I am with Rachel and Andrea getting my hair done.

 They were so kind and got up at 6 AM to help me out and did such a BEAUTIFUL job!  

Thanks so very much you guys, you are the very BEST!

 Mom decorated Janna's hair with flowers, it looked so gorgeous!

Mom, Dad, Janna and I arrived at the temple at 8 AM to meet up with Geoff so we could take pictures before our sealing (and before it got too hot.)  I was so excited when Geoff arrived and he blew me away with how dashing he looked in his tuxedo!

He went through the trouble of getting fitted in Denver and then picked it up in DC right after he landed in Washington and fought through rush hour traffic.  I hope he thought it was worth it, I sure did.

Our photographer, Ashley, was so fun and amazing, here are a few preview prints, more will be coming!

The sealing ceremony was absolutely beautiful.  The sealer talked a great deal about our responsibilities as husband and wife and the importance to keep the spirit in our home.  Geoff and I are so grateful to be fulfilling these roles with each other.

When the sealing was over, we went down to the lobby to be greeted by Geoff's family.  It truly was so wonderful to be surrounded by so many people we love.

After taking pictures in the lovely heat and humidity, we headed over to the Blair Mansion Restaurant (the same restaurant Mom and Dad had THEIR wedding luncheon in 1975!)

There, Dad performed the ring ceremony where we were reminded of the importance and sacredness of the covenants we made.

Afterwards we all enjoyed the great lunch buffet which was followed by a little family program.

Leah and Kaitlyn started things off with one of my all-time-favorite songs, "Something's Missing". They both did a wonderful job performing this sweet song, what a perfect memory for this special day.  Thanks so much girls!

Next, Janna made a presentation to Geoff and I.  Janna's sculptures have always meant a great deal to me.  Geoff saw her work and asked if she would be willing to make a sculpture of us for our wedding, we were so grateful she agreed and Mom and Dad were kind in helping her in these efforts.  She also wrote a touching poem about our courtship.  Thank you, Janna for your thoughtfulness.  Your gifts will be a treasure to us always.

Then my brothers surprised me with a beautiful quartet arrangement (which Mom wrote!!!) of a lovely song called "I Will".  They sounded amazing!  Thanks so much for doing this, it means so much.

After my brothers sang, the video Geoff and I put together with Daniel Witt was debuted.  It was such a hit!  We were so thrilled with how everything came together for the video and will cherish this record of our courtship forever!  Thanks to Jerry Cantrell and Chris Atencio for participating in this project.  We can't get over how perfect the video is.

Finally, my parents did a beautiful job singing "Grow Old With Me".  Genevieve accompanied them and it was a wonderful ending to the wedding program. 

 So much love and happiness radiated in the room.  Thanks to all who made the sacrifice to be there with us, you mean the world to us.

We are so excited and blessed to start the experience of forever living "Happily Ever After".

And I'm also excited to announce the end 

of Geoff's unmatched socks days!  :)

The Temple

These past few weeks have been absolutely insane for Geoff.  Work has been super, super busy and too many nights he's been sweating in his office (where the A/C is turned off at 5:00 PM) because he's pulling 14-16 hour days knocking out all the needed reports and deadlines for this quarter.  His mornings have been just as crazy with the early wake-up calls he's had due to church calling obligations and travel.  Alarm clocks shouldn't be allowed to go off before 5:00 AM, but Geoff's unfortunately has these past few days.

Yesterday Geoff took a break from all of this and received his Endowment in the Denver Colorado Temple.  He took the afternoon "off" from work and was quite energetic from having had a 6:00 meeting earlier that morning.  His Elder's Quorum President, Paul Schramm was kind to come and be his escort and everyone in the temple was ready for Geoff when he came through those doors.  I was so grateful to be there during his session and it felt so wonderful and peaceful to be in the temple with this amazing man.  Some friends were able to join us and we all enjoyed sharing one another's company in the Celestial Room.  What a blessing it is to have Temples on Earth and the Priesthood Power to make covenants and better understand our Heavenly Father's Plan.

Thank You, Taylors

Recently Geoff and I were going through the pictures we have from our dating adventures, ahh the memories that were made!  Going through these photos also reminded me how suave Geoff can be when he wants to get a picture of his date, even when things are still pretty new and neither know where things will lead...well, at least I didn't know what was to come.  Here's a letter Geoff wrote to the dear Taylor family.  The photos were taken at his home the first time he invited me over for dinner.  He is one gutsy guy, if you ask me!

Hello Taylors!

                I hope all is going well for you since I left.  I lovingly carried your present through security and all the way home.   

             

               

While it was sitting here, I was working on the right time to open it up.  I knew the opportunity would present itself, so I waited patiently for it.

Well well well, last week opportunity knocked.  I invited Dianne over for dinner and a movie.  We ate some rotisserie chicken and broccoli with cheese sauce (steamed in the bag!  What innovation!)  We watched the movie “In the Shadow of the Moon”.  Now, that is a lesson for all of those young Taylors out there, if the gal you invite over likes a documentary about the Apollo missions, she must be pretty cool. 

                With a woman’s touch, I decorated my Charlie Brown Christmas tree and she took some pictures.  Needless to say, when you ate a great meal, watched a good movie, and are gabbing until way to late, decorating and take pictures at 1am on Saturday sounds like a great idea.

                Thanks for the sweater and the gift cards.  Totally unexpected!  Taco Bell and BK are as good as eaten!  Applebee’s will soon be used on a date I’m sure.  The Wal-Mart one is also perfect!  I am going to give my sister a present, and I could definitely put to toward that.  She needs supplies to cook, and I have my eye one some kitchen essentials. 

               

Oh my!  A present from the Taylors under a sweet tree!

Could it be the superman underoos I had my eye on?

How fabulous!  It is cold here in Denver, and a sweater is perfect!

I tried it on, and the effect was immediate. 

I couldn’t believe how good looking I felt!

Clearly Dianne, being a woman, couldn’t control herself.

After hours and hours with the Woodhouse experience, Dianne’s smile says it all!

I think she had fun, or she could just have her eye on that Applebee’s gift card.

Only one question… I’m sure Wal-Mart had many different Christmas themed cards, from Santa to trees, but you didn’t choose one of these obvious ones.  Instead, this one has two wedding rings on it.  Dianne was the one that noticed that.  Because of the wedding rings, you really are my second Mom.  :)

Thanks again Taylor for the great present!  It made my holidays.

I hope all is going well with you and you are somehow able to keep it all together.

You are in my prayers!

Geoff Woodhouse