A Leap of Faith

Today marks exactly a year and a half since our wedding day! I felt like doing a post reminiscing back on our special day & everything it took to get to it!

A little flash back before the big day...

Sean and I met in Cancun, Mexico on vacation in March 2009. He was the first Canadian I had met &   we talked the night away on the beach about our different worlds. We instantly clicked. We only had 2 short days together in Mexico, but exchanged numbers and said we would keep in touch. Little did we know, that spring break trip was going to change our lives.

We went back to our daily lives and talked every single day with texting, Skyping, talking on the phone and through Facebook. I remember sometimes feeling like I didn't understand WHY exactly I felt SO drawn to someone that I barely knew... He lives in Canada for crying out loud! We had something special though and I couldn't let that go. (Funny fact, when we met I was currently living in a city called Little Canada in Minnesota. A little foreshadowing?)

First trip to Canada (I look so young!)

Before dropping me off at the airport from my first trip up to visit Sean

We did long distance for a year and a half, had a few trips to visit each other & finally had the discussion about what exactly we were going to do if we continued our relationship. I'll be honest, I never thought about moving to Canada. Ever. But I was 19, young and didn't exactly know what or where I wanted to go in life. Sean was starting his career, more settled where he was living at the time and I guess it just seemed right. I'll never forget telling my mom that I was going to start looking into moving to Canada. The look on her face and the long pause. She wasn't exactly happy. I mean what mom would be happy to hear that her 19 year old daughter is moving to a different country to be with a guy that she barely knew?? My mom told me something really interesting though. Her mom, so my grandma, actually loved Canada. One of her favorite places in the world was Vancouver. (My grandma passed away when I was 1 years old so I never got to know her.) My mom also told me that in my grandma's casket there were maple leaves printed all over. I remember it gave me goosebumps.  I believe hearing my mom talk about my grandma and her connection with Canada helped make my decision. Even till this day I know my grandma is the reason I met Sean and guided me to make the big, difficult & unsure move to Canada to be with him. 

Sean's first trip to Minnesota

Seems like so long ago..

Flying back to Canada for another trip

Moving to Canada wasn't easy. It was a complete leap of faith. I left my family, friends and everything I knew to come to a small town in northern British Columbia. Besides going through frequent lonely and homesick moments I was going through a lot of stress with applying for Canadian residency. (This is a whole other subject/post I could write about! Uh.) There were many moments of feeling like everything was against us being together. 

So after 2.5 years of living in Canada as a visitor so I could live with Sean, working on a work permit, filling out endless paper work, collecting every photo that we had together for proof & asking friends and family to sign a form starting they were aware of our relationship... I FINALLY received my Canadian residency! I'll be honest and say that wasn't an easy time for our relationship. We had to stay strong & stay focused on WHY we were going through everything. To be together. I think some couples wouldn't have been able to make it. It was a very long, draining, made you question yourself and stressful process! But we did it and I really believe it made us closer. To receive my residency made me feel like for the FIRST time I could breathe & know that I can stay in Canada and be with Sean. Everything we had worked for was worth it!

My approved application!!

After I walked across the border into Canada and received my Canadian residency! I can't even explain in words how I felt on this day. 

May 1st, 2014

Our wedding day of course was a special day and meant the world to me, but I felt it symbolized more than becoming man & wife. For me it also felt like a celebration day of "we did it". After some days of feeling like everything was against our relationship & us being together this was the day all of that went away. We had been through quite a rollercoaster ride and now here we are standing back in Mexico on the beach exchanging vows. 

For my "something blue" I had a piece of material from my grandma's dress that she wore to my mom's wedding sown into my dress

 

To have our family and friends together for the first time was amazing! With everyone living so far away from each other we knew this wasn't going to happen very often, so we definitely appreciated it and took in the special moment!

 It was the best day of my life so far... soon with the birth of our baby girl I know I will be experiencing an even MORE best day of my life! I couldn't be happier and feel more blessed to be married to my best friend every single day. 

You just never know where life will take you.

xo Ashley

Baby Shower

During my trip to Minnesota my mom & sister hosted a baby shower for me! It was pretty surreal to be at MY own baby shower! I was very excited to get together with some very special ladies in my life to celebrate our baby girl. The baby shower was hosted at a park in my mom's neighborhood under a cute gazebo. 

My sister know's exactly my style & did such a cute job with all the details at the shower! She ended up having a lot of pieces at the shower that I would be able to use again in the nursery and I absolutely loved that!!

It was a nice August summer day, but man oh man was it windy!

From the pink bow paper straws...

beautiful pink roses...

all the precious baby clothes & goodies on the clothes line...

to the adorable baby rattle cupcakes I was overjoyed with all the cuteness!

Eek! I had been trying to order one of these precious piggies for SO long and I was so surprised to see one hanging on the clothes line!! I just have a feeling our little girl is going to love pigs as much as I do! :)

Now my mom & sister definitely know me because they had Chipotle catered for the food at the shower and oh my goodness was this preggo a happy gal!

It was so yummy! And what a great idea right?!

After chowing down on Chipotle we played a cute game of "Mommy or Daddy." Everyone was given 2 popsicle sticks which had a pair of lips on one representing me and another that had a firefighter hat representing Sean. My sister asked questions and everyone had to hold up their answer with either the lips or firefighter hat. I was pretty impressed with how many ladies knew all the answers! I guess that's a good thing with how well they know me ;) It was a really cute game. She also planned a cute game with little babies frozen inside ice cubes. Everyone got a baby ice cube in their punch and once the ice cube melted and the little baby was floating inside their cup they had to yell "My water broke!" first to win! I then opened all the lovely baby gifts and wow did baby girl and I get spoiled! 

My sister had asked guests to bring a baby book instead of a card and I really loved that idea! Now I will have all these adorable baby books in the nursery & will be able to read the sweet notes from who purchased it for us every time we read their book! 

I am so grateful for each and everyone one of these ladies that are in my life...

(sorry missing a few!)

 

(Sean stopped by at the end just to say hello!)

I had such a great time at the baby shower and felt so blessed and thankful. It's moments like these that are a huge reminder to just how lucky I am to have these close friends in my life. I do not get to see or stay in touch as often as I would like to with everyone with being so far away, but they are always there to support me and for that I am so grateful. I can't wait for everyone to meet our baby girl!

Oh and I had a lot of fun with the fabulous giant confetti filled balloons...

 '

Thank you mommy & Did for a wonderful baby shower and thank you again to everyone who came to celebrate our baby girl!

xoxo Ashley

Birthday Trip to Minnesota

So a couple weeks before my 25th birthday my amazing husband told me I was flying to Minnesota and will be there over my birthday and my sister's birthday!! Oh my gosh I was so excited! I haven't been back to my Minnesota home since August and just couldn't wait to be with my family & friends!

A beautiful morning flying to Vancouver!

Well an early morning & long day of flying calls for some Starbucks!

My sweet sister greeted me with some birthday brownies!! (It was my birthday at midnight!)

Getting my hair done with a yummy birthday treat!

A little birthday dinner get together!

I was told birthday shots were a must...

I had a lot of shopping trips at Target of course! Gosh I remember the days my sister and I would go to Target almost everyday... seriously miss this place! Oh! And on my birthday it was announced that all the Target Canada stores were closing... worst news EVER. I still can't even believe it! (I could go off about this forever, but I won't!!)

So I had been eyeing these heels at Target since last summer and I found them on clearance for $8!! UM of course I had to buy them! I have them in solid black as well and they are my absolute fav! You can't see the jumpsuit I am wearing in this picture, but it was another great find from Target!

We went for a birthday dinner at the Smack Shack downtown Minneapolis & wow was it delicious! 

Mom eating oysters!

They mean the world to me!

Continued the night in Minneapolis for some drinks with my girl Sam!

One night my mom, sister & I went for dinner at the St Paul Hotel and then went across the street to walk through Rice Park. They were setting up for the Winter Carnival Event in downtown St Paul and it just looked so pretty! My senior year of high school I went to school right across the street from Rice Park so it brought back a lot of memories being in the area!

My beautiful school in the background.. ah memories..

I do have to say living in Canada I just miss a good ole bloody mary once in a while :)

Time flies by every time I go to MN to visit & I don't always get to see everyone I would like to, but I sure am glad I got to see a good friend's adorable little girls!

I love this little baby girl!!

My sister's birthday is exactly a week after my birthday and I was so happy to be able to be with her to celebrate her day! We went shopping and out for lunch.. was such a fun day!

Celebrated this birthday girl at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Minneapolis!

Felt so good to be home with my longtime girlfriends! Love ya Jordan!

Love my sister so much xo

So while I was in Minnesota a coworker/friend of my husband's (Adam Horst) was in Minnesota to be racing in the Red Bull Crashed Ice in St Paul over the weekend and he was able to join us for dinner! It was just so surreal to see him IN Minnesota. It's kinda like my Canadian life and US life coming together as one if you get what I mean...

It was pretty fun at dinner talking about Canada vs the US just with what things are different/similar and our American friends asking Adam a bunch of questions about Canada and the city we live in!

The last night I was in Minnesota we went to go watch the Red Bull Crashed Ice in St Paul! I've watched in before on TV and whenever they are in St Paul I always wish I was there to watch it and experience it with friends and now I finally could!

Going to keep warm with some Canadian whiskey ;)

There were SO many people! Thank goodness it wasn't too freezing out though!

It was pretty fun to be able to be there and cheer Adam on (he's the guy on the left) I told his girlfriend I would try and scream extra loud for her!! :) Would have been so great if she could have been there and my husband to join us!

That's Adam in the lead!

(later found this cool picture on Instagram)

I don't know how these guys do it! The course was insane and they were flying by SO fast! The crowed was pumped and it was so fun to watch.

After the Crashed Ice was over there was a big block party in downtown St Paul and the streets were filled with party animals, dj's and mini bars. Such a fun night!

As you can see my birthday trip to Minnesota was jam packed! It was filled with visiting friends, shopping, going out for dinner & drinks, birthday celebrations and making wonderful new memories!

Thank you again to my hubby, mom & sister for the amazing birthday gift!

I just know 25 is going to be a fabulous year!!

Until next time Minnesota!

xo Ashley