yellow roses

as we were walking back to the car yesterday after the temple, i paused at the roses and took a snap to share here, because the yellow roses at the temple hold a wonderful memory for me. thirteen and a half years ago, my husband broke one off of the bushes, knelt before me and said, "jade i've loved you from the first time i saw you and i promise i'll love you forever. will you marry me?" 

nine months later, at the same place, the perth australia temple of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints, we promised to do just that - and somehow, we are still loving each other, even though sometimes it's hard. but seeing those roses each time i go to the temple reminds me of those two youngsters, madly in love that knew a future together was ahead of them and totally possible. that's when i know that we will always make it through ♥

letitia + jordan are getting married!

our great friends the fepulea'i's are marrying off another one of their kids at the end of this year and this past weekend was allllll about it. on friday night we got to be there as letitia received her endowment in the perth temple - which was such a special experience. it's always so nice to be there with someone as they take it all in and remember my own first experience at the temple. afterwards all of us had dinner together at a local chicken place... yum!

then the following evening, i headed down to mandurah (kid free thanks to my amazing mother in law, with my personal minder darrio... grandma kendall and nanna pinker are petrified i'm going to deliver this baby at any time, i'm sure of it) to help set up and then attend jordan and letitia's engagement party!

tay hired this amazing flower wall to have photos in front out throughout the evening, which looked so cool! ♥

and a family friend put together this cool engagement cake for them!

i arrived with tablecloths, runners, vases, flowers and these gorgeous birdcages that we originally sprayed for dominiques wedding (almost 2 years ago now - where has the time gone?!) set up looked great, and the party went off without a hitch! i love this time of year for free flowers... i grabbed all these from a local spot, with a set of secateurs... what a laugh though, i was almost home and heard a buzzing in the car. even though i'd been careful checking, there was a couple of bees flying around the back of my car. i pulled over quick smart to get rid of those!

tay did such a good job of prepping everything... she had organised a video with people answering questions about jordan and letitia which was an absolute crack up... i could not stop laughing! especially seeing as wade (the bride to be's oldest brother), was "working out" for show, through the entire thing every time the camera was on him. it was hysterical.



and as an added bonus, one of my besties melinda was there, so i got to hang out with someone awesome all night. score!

thanks for a great night guys! ♥

e n g a g e d !

oh surprise! our dominique is getting married! bryan popped the question on thursday, she gleefully accepted, and now we are madly planning a wedding for next month before he returns to the u.s.

what wonderful news! they have known each other for 7 years now and seem to be perfect together, so we are thrilled to bits for them. ♥

thankfully we found a venue that could accomodate us at such short notice, so after checking out the valley view restaurant in henley brook today (which just happens to be where my best friend and her husband got married a few years back...), we have booked in and plans are full steam ahead! i am so excited and can't wait to get to work!

congratulations bryan and dominique, we are so, so happy for you!

♥

10 year engageversary

ten years ago today, doug got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife... to spend his life and what comes next - by his side. 

who would have known on our first date (which i just so happen to have photos from, conveniently because we were going to our stake ysa ball) that we'd end up here all these years later.

i mean seriously, these photos are 12 years old! haha.

marriage is hard, but loving doug makes it a little easier ♥

wade and deb are getting married!

my dear friend vivienne's son wade is getting married! he and his girlfriend deborah got engaged a week and a bit ago... and viv asked me if i would take a few pictures of them when we were down in baldivis for family dinner sunday.

wade has just returned in april from his mission in the sapporo, japan mission and was keen to have engagement pictures done - as apparently it's traditional there.

lucky for him, his bride to be was quite obliging... so we had a good time down at a local reserve.

so here we are ladies and gentlemen...

i present to you... wade & deb 

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jen and mats engagement party

the bride and groom to be...
(please notice the awesome boots from
everlastings on fitzgerald)

what an saturday afternoon!...
mat and jen truly know how to throw a party - i swear no one would have needed to eat for a week when they were done.
enough food for an army and enough to drinks to last until christmas!

and their house... is all done - and absolutely freaking gorgeous...
i am totally jealous and i'm not even kidding.
i'm tempted to build a house in my parents front yard!!

but all in all - i am super-excited for them!!
plus i had an awesome time

congrats kids!


and... just for good measure!!...
a party just isn't a party without one of these!

engagement anniversary...

on friday - doug had i had been engaged for 5 years!
that's right ladies and gents,
5 years ago, we stopped at the perth temple
on our way back to my mum and dads after a day in perth,
where he knelt on the grass in front of me,
pulled out a beautiful white box and handed me a yellow rose, saying:
"jade i've loved you since the first moment i saw you,
i love you now, i'll always love you
and i'd love for you to be my wife...
will you marry me...?"

the ring was amazing... (he picked it all by himself!!)

and it still looks amazing on my finger

definately a good choice :)

love you bebeh! xxx