Looking back, looking forward

So, 2012 then. How was it for you?

I'd say it was a pretty awesome year. Wiggo winning le Tour and getting a knighthood for services to offending the French, soaking up the atmosphere of London 2012 (albeit at arms length), and just for a few days there the newspapers were full of positive role models for girls - Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton, Ellie Simmonds, all totes amazeballs, to name but a few.

It didn't quite have the personal upheaval of the previous couple of years - which seems a slightly odd thing to say given the one significant life change the year did bring, but I probably went on about that enough at the time (spin back to March/April if you want to relive my thoughts!).

But now I'm settled... settled into the rhythm of living with a man (it is an acquired taste, but you get used to it), settled into the routine of my wifely duties, I even got the new signature down within a couple of months.

So what's next? Stuck in a rut and waiting for the seven year itch? Well, I'm not going to worry about that for at least six years, but I don't think I (sorry, we) will remain settled long enough to get bored. I think there are more changes going to happen in 2013.

It's been a couple of years since God recruited me to His team, and I don't think he did that just so I could keep Animal company (although, if that did turn out to be my main purpose in life, it wouldn't be so bad). No, I think God has another job in mind, either for me or for us both, together. There have already been a couple of interesting developments which may be related, but time will tell....

Awww bless him

Animal cried too, soppy thing. Not quite when I expected it, but it was a lovely moment. :)

I always cry at weddings

I can't even begin to say what an amazing day it was. Spring had sprung and it was just a beautiful day to be doing anything, and so finally marrying my soulmate was just perfect. The service was lovely, and so nice to be surrounded by my lovely family and friends (old and new) for the whole day (although, truth be told, it was nice getting away from being the centre of attention afterwards!). It might not have been the biggest or flashiest wedding ever, but I was treated like a princess for the entire day, and isn't that what every girl wants? (Yes, fellas, it is!)

And yes, obviously I cried.

One thing we didn't quite plan for though, was the wedding night being an hour shorter than it should have been. Really should have seen that coming... Still, I can assure you we made up for the missing hour, even if we do still have a lot of time left to make up!

Somebody managed to pull a string somewhere and got our seats upgraded on the flight out to Italy too, which was a bonus; but maybe I'll go into the honeymoon a bit more some other time.

For now though, as it's Musical Monday, grab yourself a bucket, I want to relive one of those classic wedding party songs...

Yes, we danced to that (although not quite as well as in the video) - so sue me! It seemed a wholly appropriate song for Mr and Mrs Animal to depart on, and never a truer word was sung. I couldn't have hoped for a better wedding day; and I still feel like the luckiest girl alive.

Beautiful Bride

No, I'm not here, I'm a bit busy just at the moment. I actually scheduled this weeks ago, because I thought it would be fun. And because this is an awesome song by Flyleaf. I wonder if the DJ will have any Flyleaf....?

Anyway, I'm off skiing tomorrow, Mrs Animal will be back to blog all about it (maybe) in a couple of weeks.

So, this is it then.

Welcome one and all to this most historic occasion: my last blog as a single girl. Yes, I know, I haven't really been at this long enough for it to be that historic, but just go with it for now.

I suppose I should use the occasion to reflect on singleness, and look forward to marriedness, but I think I'm just too excited to put coherent thoughts together like that at the moment. So, despite being too excited to sit still, I'm going to just ramble for a bit :)

It is a weird phenomenon, but this whole wedding thing seems to have taken an absolute age to get here, but at the same time it seems like only yesterday that I first met Animal... The truth is somewhere between the two; it's fifteen months, almost to the day, since I first plucked up the courage to grab him under the mistletoe and plant one on him. (Poor lad didn't know what had hit him... wonder how he'll cope with the wedding night?) And it's been about ten months since he proposed... scarily whirlwind when I put it like that, but when it's right, it's right!

And now, it's all over bar the actual getting married bit. I've done my stint in the beauty salon ;), we had the big both families together meal last night, and the next time I see Animal he'll be waiting nervously at the altar, praying that I'm going to turn up... (I'll be there sweety - I'd have been there ten months ago if I could!)

So tonight I'll be relaxing with my family, spending my last single night at my folks house and then.... the craziness of hairdressers and florists and bridesmaids and Bentley drivers all descending on the place over the course of a few hours, until finally, finally.... I can be Mrs Animal.

And with that, this is Miss Sadie W saying goodbye, forever.... but Mrs Animal will be back on the blog in a couple of weeks. Until then, have fun - I certainly intend to!

Musical Monday: Yet More Wedding Music

Last time, I promise! After all, next Monday it will all be over...

So here is the background music that will play while we sign the register and do the official stuff. It was a tricky decision, because although the music sounds wedding-friendly, I wasn't entirely sure about the words. But in the end we decided that it does in fact reflect the way that our love for each other is centred in our love for Jesus. And that's an important thing to me, because although some people may claim they could spend their lives with someone who doesn't share their faith, that doesn't sit right with me. That would mean my heart was divided, whereas both Animal and I are Christ's and His alone, and Animal has done nothing but strengthen my faith (as, apparently, I have strengthened his). I guess this song is my prayer that we both will continue to love God first and foremost, then each other, and put ourselves and our own needs after that.

Failing that, of course, having personal meaning for the bride should be good enough reason to play anything :)

And then there is the first dance song, and running a close race with the Snow Patrol track, is this:

Don't read anything into the rocket launch imagery in the video though..... ;)

Musical Monday: More Wedding Music

Because at this point in my life, I am a wedding. So I might as well bore the twelve of you with the details, right? Well, if you're intertested, the traditional bridal procession music will be The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from Handel's Solomon.

And the slightly less traditional (and much more... me) recessional music, is entitled The Throne Room, by some composer called John Williams. And it goes a little something like this:

I know, too cool, right? I'll almost be sad to have walked out before the end of that piece of music.

Almost.

Musical Monday: Wedding Songs

Three weeks time, and I shall be living it up in the Alps as Mrs Animal :D.... but in the meantime, we have the tricky final touches to put to this wedding thingy. So we've spent a bunch of time this weekend picking songs with the band, given the sound guy the CDs for the bride's entrance and the happy couple's exit (one of which will be more traditional than the other!).

Only one musical dilemma remains though: the First Dance.

Neither of us is really into the kind of music that lends itself to slow dances, so we spent a pleasant evening listening to a variety of love songs on Spotify, desperately trying to find something appropriate that wasn't horribly cheesy.

You see, I love I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders, but it starts off 'Why do you look so sad?' and if either us looks sad by that point, something has gone drastically wrong. I think Make It With You by Bread is pretty cool too (if somewhat ancient), but possibly a little saucy for the some of the church crowd (yeah I know, what do they think we're gonna do when we leave, play Star Wars Monopoly?). Some smartarse suggested Lady In Red, but he got taken off the guest list as a result.

At the moment, we're looking at either slightly cheesy 80s songs or slightly predictable motown ballads. There are a couple of slightly cooler alternatives though; here's one that looks like it could be a contender:

Any more suggestions for a non-cheesy, romantic tune suitable for the first dance? Something a bit unusual would be nice - no Westlife! Feel free to drop us a comment with your suggestions :)