Woofstock at Waterloo

For anyone who enjoys their dogs and likes to take them out into public, consider going to Austin on May 2nd!

http://www.woofstockatwaterloo.org/index.html

Ok, some of the picture highlights!

Thanks to Jill for taking them even though it was cold and wet!

And thanks to Jase for loving me enough to want to do all these "silly wedding things", and make it so obvious that you love me.

Engagement Photos!

LOL, ok so you'll notice that there aren't any posted yet.... We did take them yesterday. Jace and I went up to Austin to the botanical gardens. Beautiful place! Jill took the photos using a combination of her new camera and my oldie but goodie. They are both digital so I do HAVE the photos, but I haven't really gotten to look through them well enough yet to decide what I want to use for what. I will post a few as soon as I get a chance...

Oh, and God was really with us on the weather. It was rainy, drizzly and cold when we got there at 9:30am. That kept all the regular crowds at the Zilcher Botanical Gardens away and left us to take some very nice shots! It cleared up by 10 and we had great sunshine. One problem was the temp! It was chilly and windy!!!!
But who can complain. When I took Jill and Brandon's engagement shots several years ago it was so HOT we were dying and melting and all that goes with a normal Texas summer at the San Antonio art museum. We even have a shot of us all three sitting on a air vent outside trying to get cool!

The website

I just created a new wedding website!!!
To RSVP etc and see our story please go to:

http://www.mywedding.com/hurstbridgeman/index.html

Oh and might I take but a brief moment to say that I will be sending out proper invitations to those that should come. Jase and I are having a small ceremony and do not wish to make anyone feel excluded but being poor ex-college/ lack o college kids we are somewhat on the poorside at this juncture of our lives! So believe we love you all even if we only get to exclaim over pictures afterwards together! :)

Cheers

25 Random Things

I did this for facebook. Thought it would go well here as well.


I didn't even know this was something to do until I got tagged once... You are supposed to type a note with 25 random things about you and then tag 25 of your friends including the person who tagged you first.

1.) I was supposed to be an equine vet. I never changed my career choice from the time I was four years old. But I always changed what TYPE of vet I wanted to be. Till vet school where I was SURE I wanted to be an equine vet and specialize in reproduction. I was SURE I didn't want to practice small animal. Things just don't always go the way you think they will.

2.) I have a hard time with the sight of human wounds.... Yes, I can do surgery on dogs and dig through a cat's intestines and it doesn't even make me blink, but watch them dig a little asphault out of my friends knee? Watch me take a chair and turn a little green.

3.) I'm a renaissance woman. I do a lot of things for fun: photography (photographed weddings even), painting (one hanging on my wall), writing (I have 2 finished manuscripts), horseback riding, singing, instruments etc. I like to dabble in many things.

4.) I thought I'd be married by now. Though I'm not sure why, and I'm definitely not questioning God's plan cause he sure did right by his own timeline. But I will be married in October!

5.) I spent part of my childhood feeling very much like a boy, in fact for a small part I thought I had been "androgenized in utero". Can you imagine thinking that as a kid? I found my girly side about 7 years ago.

6.) I have been called a "collector". In the veterinary field this means someone who takes in animals and collects them like statues. I am not and shall never be, because their happiness is too important to me to let that happen. So currently I have 4 dogs, 2 cats, 3 birds, 2 snakes, 3 horses and some fish. All VERY well loved and cared for.

7.)I graduated salutatorian in high school, cum laude from A&M BS, and second to last in my vet school degree. Hehe... Try that if you think its hard.

8.) I was kicked out of A&M for grades and let back in for determination.

9.) I have never eaten a variety of meats! And I never will if I continue to eat only poulty and seafood. No four-legged beasties for me. I have actually failed to eat beef for longer than I ate it when young (I quit at 12yrs old)...

10.) Some day I would like to publish my novels. The currently finished duo is sci fi/fantasy... ok maybe just fantasy. Complete with dragons and pegasi and magic.

11.) I used to love reading for pleasure. I quit cold turkey in vet school cause I had to read so much to keep up. I'm slowly starting back in...

12.)I studied Animal Science in my bachelors and aced every aspect of every class that didn't qualify as a science. The only science I did well in was genetics. I loved genetics.

13.) I hope to play the cello again. I dearly love the deep tones that it sings with clear resonance.

14.) I took belly dancing, tai chi, yoga, fencing, archery, and self defense while in school. Thought they would be fun to learn. I was right.

15.) I know my way around a 20gauge shotgun(and others) and I'm a decent shot. As long, that is, that the targets aren't in pairs. I psych myself out about the second target so much, I fail to hit the first!

16.)I don't watch much TV, but I deeply love Jase's and my "episodes". We watch fully downloaded series from the internet. Anime, Quantum Leap, Firefly, House MD, etc.

17.) I was obsessed with Quantum Leap in Middle School. I had a cataloged collection of all the episodes on VHS complete with date, person, goal and synopsis of each episode. I stayed up late when they reran the final episode as their was a storm that knocked out power in Corpus the first time it played. I cried.

18.) I cut a very balanced line between sophisticated and childishly wacky. Some people can't follow. I'm lucky enough to have been able to find a man who cherishes both parts equally.

19.) I surfed with depression for several years in vet school. Even took anti-depressants. Counseling, drugs (the good kind), and some very diligent people who loved me were the only reason I made it through.

20.) I love to travel to places less frequented. I have spent 6months at a horse farm in England, been all over the UK (even saw a crop circle) and spent 3wks in South Africa! I have been to 28states and hope to see the rest.
With the help of my friends who live all over this blessed Country! California, Maryland, Virginia, Oregon, even not in the states like DuBai (spelling?) and Australia just to name a couple.

21.) I have been a maid of honor in five different weddings. On a side note: be wary of being my friend- unless you want multiples for children. I have three friends with twins and one friend with quints!

22.) I played kickball in a league. Complete with rules, umpires, uniforms, and trophies for lots of my childhood and then again in Austin for the past few years.

23.) I enjoy horses! But I hate to ride alone. I have saddle broken a good 2 dozen horses and no longer enjoy being tossed on the ground. I have been injured many many times, but never anything more serious than a cracked foot.

24.) I was proposed to a thousand times but he only asked me to marry him once. In a plate of cookies. Apparently I fell asleep the night he really planned to propose to me!!! OOPS!

25.) I love my life, my family, and my God and I hope each day that I make all of them proud: That everyone takes a little bit of His light away each time they meet me. There is plenty to go around.

Cart before the Horse

So as you know, back mid fall I bought a carriage for Six to pull at the ceremony in October. Today was his first day getting to actually be before the cart so to speak!

He did a great job and didn't seem to mind too much at all, just needs to get used to the feel... And honestly I do too!!!

I also included some cute shots taken from this evening.

A plate of cookies!

So ladies and gentleman it is my extreme pleasure to announce my formal engagement!

:)

Jase had plenty of opportunities to propose to me in a very romantic and traditional way, but as is totally in step with the humor in our relationship, he chose something a little more fun and playful.

He had taken me on a wonderful horseback ride several weeks ago that ended with a great dinner and movie.... no ring...

We had a very low key New Years eve just the two of us.... No ring....

We went to a wonderful dinner at The Melting Pot on Saturday just for the heck of it and had a wonderful time at the restruant that we celebrated our one year anniversary at back in August and I thought, surely it will be tonight... yet no ring was forthcoming...


So tonight, on this nothing special of a Monday night, I had worked hard and long and Jay had put in two hours of overtime himself. We both arrived home late and we were both tired. I fed the horses and put the trash out and was laying on the bed looking at a magazine that had come in the mail...

Jay walks in with something behind his back and a giant beaming smile on his face. He says:
"Couuuuurty, Do you love me?"
"Yes Jay" I laugh
"How much do you love me?" He says playfully
"Very very much, why?" I ask, suspicious.
"Cause I have something for you." He pulls out a giant plate of chocolate chip cookies from the Great Cookie Company, a tradition we have when he is feeling particularly considerate and sweet.
I reply "Awwww, how sweet!" I, very unsuspecting, at this point cause he'd disarmed me with familiarity, picked up the central cookie.

And low and behold a giant shiny rock shone back at me!!!

I squeaked and bust into ecstatic laughter.
He dropped to one knee and said, "Then will you marry me?"
I wrapped my arms around his neck laughing and laughing and said yes about a zillion times. I told him, "you are so silly!!" He chuckled and said "you knew that, that's why you love me! It wouldn't be right to do it traditionally and this way just came to me one day."

So we are officially engaged.
The wedding is now OFFICIALLY planned for the 10th of October of this year at The Hurst Family home in Bulverde. It won't be a large gathering but elegant and fun.

I'm positively beaming and so very excited! And now I will get to share more planning fun in my blog!

Cheers!!

Oh PS- the central diamond belonged to my grandmother! Jay had to go get it from my mom prior to ever talking to my dad or brother. He wanted the ring to be able to take with him when he talked to the men. So the first person he had to go through was the momma bear!!!