Spring and Summer in Iowa!

Since we returned home from Canada after Cassie and Trevor's wedding, a lot has gone on here in Iowa!  With the weather quickly transitioning from Winter straight into a balmy Spring and early Summer, we have enjoyed the great weather and great friends here in Iowa!  Here's a look at some of my favourite parts of the last couple months! 

As you know, I have had a blast serving on Worship Team for the past couple years here at PLC.  What you may not know (or you might, probably you already know) is that Andee has recently joined me on the weekends to sing on the team!  With the business of Residency, this young Doctor decided that he wanted to do something that brought him some joy in the midst of all the work.  And he has done a phenomenal job of jumping in and representing Christ through singing some beautiful harmonies!  And the best part is that we get to do it together!

Another favourite that I just love to talk about is our sweet girl, Vera!  Since the last time I wrote, Miss Vera has grown quite a bit, and has almost doubled her little kitten size!  Sometimes though, she forgets that she has grown; and the results are hilarious!  Our little girl loves to hang out on Andee's shoulders when he comes home from work, and prefers to sleep on the top cabinets of our kitchen.  However, with Vera's newfound chubbiness, she is now unable to make it to her favourite spot on top of the cabinets, and has had to settle for a lesser, more spacious spot.  It's hysterical to her try to squeeze in.  Poor kitty.  I guess we all fight the battle of the bulge!

A lot of people have been complaining about the heat and humidity lately, but if you know me at all, you know this is my favourite!  HHH (hazy, hot and humid) days just allow for more oppourtunites to spend time at the pool and beach, which Andee and I have taken advantage of!  I can only coerce a few friends to join me at the beach (all Canadians, apparently we love the beach), as the others are not a fan of the sticky hot weather.  At least us Canadians can enjoy it!  George Wyth beach and my favourite lane swimming pool have seen a lot of me lately, and I will continue to go until the weather forces me away!  Beach Bum for life!!

Andee and I also recently had the oppourtunity to see an incredible vocalist/worship leader/musician Danny Gokey!  He originally had his start on American Idol, and had actually lost his wife about a month before his audition.  He now uses his amazing gift for music to impact so many lives with encouragement to know that there is hope in the midst of suffering, and he has a first hand account of this.  Also, his vocal abilities are absolutely phenominal, and we were even able to get a picture and signed book with Danny Gokey after the concert was over!  Such a fun evening!

We were also able to celebrate friends on their new engagements and marriages!  With our Small Group, we celebrated Juan and Nicole's marriage with a wedding shower, and they were recently married in Michigan.  With Andee's Residency friends, we celebrated Eman and her wedding reception.  So great to celebrate with friends!

Speaking of celebrations, Andee and I joined the Third Year Residents as they celebrated their completion of the Northeast Iowa Family Medicine Residency Program!  The struggle is real - and were they ever excited to be moving on to their next adventures!  It was great to see the Residency crew, hear about their quirky personalities, and to dress up and be served a delicious dinner and dessert!  A good time was had by all!

This past weekend was the Sturgis Falls Festival, an annual event in Cedar Falls with live music, fried food, craft booths, rides, games, and a parade!  A few of us attended the parade on Saturday morning, and despite the incredibly hot temperatures, had a good time!  And guess who held a Worship Service at the festival?  Prairie Lakes Church!  I was a part of the Worship Team for this event, and though it was yet another sticky hot day, there were quite a few people that made it out to the outdoor service!  It was really fun to do something like this out in the community, and only in Iowa would there be that much worship music at a public event!  I love it!

So there you have it - fun in the sun in Iowa!  In the daily routine of life, Andee has remained pretty busy at work, but we've come to expect this after two years of residency.  Can you believe it has been two years already?  Today, July 1st (Canada Day!), Andee will officially be in his last year of residency!  Can I get an Amen!?  So as we and all our Canadians celebrate Canada, we will also be celebrating Andee's hard work and tenacity in transitioning into a Third-Year Resident!  Let the Senior-itis begin! 

Cassie and Trevor Get Hitched!!

What a wonderful time we had celebrating Cassie and Trevor's Wedding!!  It was an absolutely beautiful outdoor ceremony, a delicious meal and dessert, hilarious and heartfelt speeches, fun dancing, and just a wonderful gathering of so many people that we love.

But before I get to that, let's start at the beginning of the week!

Andee and I left from Iowa to Canada with our, *ahem*, sweet little Vera girl.  And by 'sweet', I mean terrified and unhappy as we loaded her into the car and started the journey home.  Of the 13 hours we spent in the car, at least 9 of them were serenaded by the loud and frantic meows and screams of one unhappy little kitty.  We let her roam free, as the kitty carrier only seemed to cause more panic, which resulted in hours and hours of trying to wrangle a kitten from crawling all over the driver.  At one point I threw in the towel and stated to Andee that "we can never take her back to Canada again."  Classic Di-Di.  But we got through it, and eventually our little girl was safe and sound at my parent's house, where she met "Grandma and Grandpa" and "Auntie Cassie" for the first time.  Can you tell we have yet to have children?  At least we all arrived home in one piece!  Don't let this photo fool you - it is one of very few moments where she was calm enough to snap a picture!

After the mildly chaotic ride home, we had a pretty low-key week considering all the last-minute wedding festivities we were anticipating.  Cassie is one organized bride, and she had everything running smoothly!  A final dress fitting, some scrapbooking, seating charts, and some last minute details were all a part of preparing for Cassie and Trevor's big day!  We also made sure to get in some Canadian staples such as Canadian McDonalds, Tim Hortons, and of course, poutine!  We also got our nails done and enjoyed some quality girl time together!

We were also able to enjoy one special pre-wedding family date before the big day - a behind-the-scenes experience at Jungle Cat World!!  Not only did we experience the already wonderful and beautiful Big Cats and other animals at the Wildlife Park, but Cassie and I were able to spend some 'up-close-and-personal' time with three different animals - lemurs, a serval cat, and a baby lion!  It was absolutely amazing to be able to pet and feed these adorable and powerful creatures!  God is so creative and these animals are such a wonderful representation of His beauty and strength!  Cassie and I were completely in love and acting like giddy school girls in the presence of these amazing animals!  The program allows for the animals to become comfortable around humans by allowing humans to interact with them in a safe environment, all the while the humans get to experience some wildlife snuggles!  A win-win!  Enjoy the photos!

Next came the rehearsal dinner!  A delicious Italian feast with so many people that we love!  We had a great time meeting some of Trevor's family and groomsmen, as well as spending time with our own family too!  It was a wonderful evening!

And now for the Wedding Day!!  Everyone looked absolutely beautiful/handsome, and the weather actually cooperated with a warm(ish) sunny day in April!  The photos turned out absolutely stunning, and Cassie looked like a Disney Princess in her fairy-tale like ball gown!  The ceremony was complete with personal vows, as well as a love-filled song that I had the privilege to sing as they were signing the marriage certificate.  The cocktail hour allowed for some wonderful conversations with so many of our family members and friends, and it was so great to see everyone all in one place!  It also included some beautiful and crafty touches from Cassie, including scrapbooks and handmade wooden signs.  The Reception Hall had much of the same touches, with beautiful wood slab and flower centerpieces, and handmade wooden coasters for all the guests to take home!  The meal was absolutely delicious, as were the cupcakes and cookie bar!  The speeches were laud-out-loud funny in some spots, and reach for a tissue heartfelt in others.  The DJ and music were fantastic, and everyone looked like they were having an amazing time!  Cassie and Trevor looked so happy throughout the whole day, and everything ran very smoothly.  All in all, it was the perfect day for Cassie and Trevor, and for everyone there to celebrate the start of their new life together.  It was amazing, and Andee and I are so thrilled that we were able to be there for their special day!  Enjoy the amazing photography!

On the drive back home, Vera improved with screams that lasted only a few hours, followed by an exhausted kitty falling asleep on my lap for a good duration of the day.  We'll take it!  Until next time, Canada!