Come follow me in Australia!

For those who missed it, and particularly to my followers - I have a new blog for Australia at baxtersmistress.blogspot.com. It's titled "Living Upside Down" and you can also find it by clicking on my "complete profile" over there to the right (under the small black and white picture) and clicking on the link at the top. :)

Thanks for following! :D

Amelia

Funeral for a Homeless Veteran

Today I represented the American Red Cross as an attendee to a funeral held in Sacramento for a homeless war veteran, Joe Sobol. Sobol was a United States Marine, and had passed away last October, and not been claimed by any family, so he was being moved from his pauper's grave to the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon following the memorial service in Sacramento.

Inside the service

Unfurling the flag for the gun salute and the playing of TAPS

At the end of the processional to the cemetery in Dixon

We even got firetrucks on two overpasses just before the exit

Weird having so many cops behind me and not being given a ticket

The seal outside the Cemetery

A collection of the Patriot Guard Riders' bikes

Weekend in Santa Cruz

It's been 6 weeks now that I've been back in California, and having not found a job, I was starting to get a bit of cabin fever hanging around the house all the time. Thankfully my friend Mike and I were able to escape for the weekend to lovely Santa Cruz.

Walkin on the Boardwalk

Mike had never been on the Giant Dipper, so that was our first stop :D

Someone in the parking lot gave us their wristbands as they were leaving, so we got to ride everything for free :D

Jambalaya for dinner on the pier

The Boardwalk at night

My first corndog in 4 years! :)

Deep Fried Cheesecake

Tired Reeses...she had a tough day at the beach haha

Pizza My Heart for dinner!

Drivin the truck home with puppy in my lap :)

Summer Wedding #2 - Hannah and Neil - June 29

My cousin Hannah's wedding was on Saturday, and although the weather was quite warm, the wedding was lovely and VERY country. Except the tacos, haha. Congratulations to Hannah and Neil!

Mom of the bride and cousins Jake and Timmy

Hannah and proud daddy

Me and my cousin Kayla

Praying over the couple

The kiss

Mr and Mrs Isaac

Sherbert Punch in little jars

"Forget Us Nots" and "Create a Date" cards

The date idea I wrote out for them :)

The getaway vehicle

Gorgeous covered bridge behind the barn for the wedding party's pictures

Reception barn

Inside the reception barn

Father-daughter dance

Couple's first dance

Prayer

Taco Bar!

Uncle Bob, Aunt Patrice, and Dad and Mom

Me and my parents

Me with my cousin Amber

Me and the happy couple

Here they come...

...and there they go!

Attending weddings...so exhausting lol

Summer Wedding #1 - Katie and Josh - June 15

It was an adorable wedding. Not too big, not too long (though I did leave the reception a bit early to catch my brother's after-graduation dinner), and I'm so very glad I could make it. Congratulations to the happy couple. :)

Here are some of the "special moments" (and some funny shots) I captured:

Me, Taryn(my hot date), and Jenna

Worship before the ceremony (Katie's sisters singing - Sarah(L), Jenny, and Emily)

I would love this picture, but that upside down white flower was driving me nuts the entire time :/

Just about ready for the bride to make her entrance!

Ring bearer and flower girl, brother and sister Ian and Madilynn Morris, pulling a little wagon with lemons and limes. How precious.

The bride (Katie) and proud daddy

The kiss...sorry it's fuzzy..I tried to get it too quickly.

Mr and Mrs Clough!

Taryn and I with our programs-on-popsicle-sticks

One of the lovely flowers baskets decorating the reception area :)

Enjoying our picnic reception

Enough with the toasts...I want some cake! :P

That's more like it! :D

So sweet...though I must say I was quite disappointed that there was no smashing of the cake in the face of either of them.

The bouquet toss. I did not participate, as this tradition has proven quite unreliable as a "next wedding" predictor, despite my best efforts in the past. Trust me. I've caught 6 bouquets. (Some of my Stockton readers may remember the infamous bouquet toss* of '08 at the Petersen/Stavenger wedding between myself and a particularly determined bridesmaid - the DJ was so amused with MY determination that he insisted I join the men in the garter toss as well**. Fun times.)

The Maid of Honor caught the bouquet :)

Retrieving the garter

The toss - notice there are only TWO MEN vying to catch it. And people wonder why I'm not married. Slim pickin's, folks.

Me with the newlyweds. Notice I did a FANTASTIC job matching my dress to their theme ;)

The first dance. It started right before I had to leave, but I had to stick around to watch and take a few pictures, it was too sweet not to.  She just looks so happy. :)

*The aftermath of the aforementioned bouquet struggle. (I had the stems, she had the flowers on top.)

**And the garter toss. That's me, dead center. I know, my parents were so proud.

I should probably also mention that I did not end up walking away with either one of the 'prizes', though I clearly had the stalk of the bouquet (as evidenced in photo 1). Nevertheless, I was 1st runner-up for both, as evidenced in the photo above. Had it not been for that guy on my left.... ;D