The Scariest Halloween Ever!

Miguel and I spent Halloween Eve in Salem, MA, which I have always wanted to do. We were at the very beginning of what was planned to be a year-long honeymoon filled with travels of the U.S.

However, on October 31, 2009 we discovered that only four weeks after our wedding, I was pregnant. This day will go down in our history not only as our 4-week anniversary, but as our scariest Halloween EVER! I'm still flabbergasted as to how this happened (not the birds and bees part, but the timing and all). How is it I went from a carefree, traveling newlywed to a mother-to-be in just a month's time? Needless to say our trip had to take a serious turn. We went from the northeast to the northwest (by southern route) in about two weeks and ended up back in Colorado.
Currently, we are struggling to find employment, living in my parents' basement and simply trying to hold on. Thank goodness we have each other for I don't know what I would do without my Miggy. So here I am, a thirty year old wife and soon-to-be parent asking myself, "what happened?" Talk about expecting the unexpected and being forced to be flexible.

The After Party

After the bowling reception was over and we separated the party crowd from everybody else, we continued the insanity at The Vault in downtown Fort Collins. Our good buddy Dave is a bartender there and he opened the bar early just for us. Thanks Dave.

Needless to say, the party continued until pretty late and our guest let loose a bit. I was also surprised by a visit from an old school mate, Henry Gaona. What a great time we had, catching up and sharing wedding stories.



This part of our day also served as a going away shindig for Miguel and me. Thank you everyone who made it out, we are so fortunate to have such great friends!

Here are some pics of the madness:

The Reception

In the spirit of where we met (kinda), our wedding reception was held at the bowling alley. We decided to mix a bunch of things we like together: Day of the Dead, skulls, music, bowling, friends, family, beer, booze, cupcakes and Mexican food (among other things).

Miguel and I tapped into our frugal/ creative senses and decided to make most of the decorations: two-tiered records bowls- the top was for chips and the bottom for our M&M favors and hanging records with skull accents-made from 45s, fishing line and skull beads.

(My adorable parents and sister; you can kind of see the hanging records in the background)

I also asked the guests to send a piece of fabric so that I could make a quilt that represented our loved ones so we're never alone on our travels (from what I've heard, the quilt idea is becoming increasingly popular in the DIY wedding world).

We used bright fall-inspired colors for the tablecloths and frosting on the cupcakes. The music was a mix of 50's and 60's rock. Everything was very simple, yet fun.

The party began with everyone settling in and grabbing a bite to eat from our buffet of Qdoba snacks (Taco/Burrito/Nacho Bar). Then my friends Leslie and Jamie gave very sweet, funny toasts and we said our "thank-you(s)". Finally, the games started, as did the laughter and great conversations.

From the responses I have received, it seems everyone had a great time. I'm hoping to get more pictures of the decorations and reception, unfortunately we didn't get very many. After the reception some of us moved on to an after party, which is material for another post ;-)

The Nuptials

On October 3, 2009 I became Mrs. Cindy Banuelos when I married the love of my life Miguel. Many of my posts over the next few weeks will likely highlight this wonderful experience. Those who know me understand my quirkiness, and those who don't, soon will.

We said our vows in front of family and friends in my parents' front yard and we were blessed to have amazing weather. Here are some pictures of the ceremony.

My dress was ordered online through uniquevintage.com for an astounding $88. My sister found her dress at Dress Barn for a mere $30. Our crinoline slips were also purchased through uniquevintage.com. My mother and I did some simple tacking with thread to spruce up my dress and let the red show a little more.

Our bouquets were done at a small local shop and were vibrant with fall colors. The arch (rented) was decorated by me and Sara (my sister). The fellas wore snazzy bowling shirts and slacks (the shirts were ordered from daddyos.com and I will explain the bowling part in a later post).

At the last moment, I decided to have both my mother and father walk me out to the arch. Overall, I think everything turned out wonderful and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! Thanks to all who shared in the momentous occasion.

Our First Home

After slaving away all summer working for my parents at their dog boarding kennel, Ashcroft Kennels, Mig and I had finally saved enough money to buy our first home with cash. Now, this may seem awesome to some until I remind them that our home is on wheels. After a long search for something that suited both our needs and the dogs, we settled on a 20 foot, 1985 Toyota Sun Land Express. With an initial investment of $4500 and then some $1500 more on simple repairs and preparations for a year of travel, we have our perfect home.

I'm Back!

Ha! Sorry for the lack of communication over the last few months, but don't worry, I'm back! My spring was filled with travels to the East and an injured father, which led to a summer of working seven days a week and being away from my fiancee for three months straight. Each experience brought us closer to our final goal of buying our first home (with cash), getting married, and pursuing a dream we call Road Love America. Follow our travels as newlyweds in our 1985 Toyota motorhome with our dogs on www.roadloveamerica.wordpress.com. You can read about our idea and hopefully find yourself hooked to our adventures.

Puppies

As a quick preface to the bulk of this post, I have been out of touch (technologically speaking) due to an unforeseen change in plans. About a month ago my father was involved in an accident with an ATV and two days later my parents helped their dog deliver a litter of 7 beautiful springer spaniel puppies.

My mother quickly wore herself out with the pressure of caring for an injured husband, a dog that developed an infection in her mammary gland, 7 puppies and running their large dog kennel. I received a phone call shortly thereafter begging for my assistance. So here I am, almost 3 weeks later, living in my parents' basement and working with/for them.

The best part is I get all the puppy love a girl could need...... Oh how comforting the smell of puppy breath can be. Here's a little taste of what I get the pleasure of playing with each day. (Don't get me wrong, I have been working my a** off from dawn til dust but these guys make it all worth while).