The Visual Mom

Two months after the wedding, I'm finally getting around to playing with some of the video we shot. There isn't too much, but here is a fun clip from what we did shoot. This was at South Point, which is the southern most point in the US. Next stop: Antarctica. The cliffs there are about 30' up. This was the day after our wedding and one of the stops we made on our way to Volcanoes National Park.

For those of you who keep in touch regularly, you know that we have a wonderful dog named Landry. Landry is of somewhat unknown lineage. She came from a "breeder" and is definitely out of an Australian Shepherd, however we have reason to suspect that she is not 100% Aussie, but rather a 50/50 of Aussie and Border Collie. Regardless, we love her none the less. As often times dogs do, Landry has left an indelible mark on our lives and our hearts. Her arrival in April of 2003, marked the beginning of our family. Dave was a little uncertain about having a pet of any kind. He already knew that I was sincerely interested in horses, however I don't think he realized what a package deal I was. But I am how I am. I nearly went to vet school, so animals were absolutely going to be a part of my life. At the time, we were living on the west side of Indianapolis. We spent a good deal of time with our dear friends, Jay and Lesia, who were very much into dogs, specifically Au...

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Well, we've officially been married for nearly two months now. Everyone keeps asking how married life is. Its great! But to be honest, it really isn't that different than life before the rings. ;) I mean, we have been together for 7 years, so we should have a pretty good idea of what life would be like after marriage. Right? But all that aside, it is fun to think of it as our first Christmas together. We recently received a "first Christmas" ornament which I proudly hung on our tree. I AM excited to be Dave's wife and I do love referring to him as my husband. :) I also wanted to let you all know that we decided not to send out holiday cards this year. You all know that we got married. You've all had access to the stories and the pictures from the event and the honeymoon. We figured we'd give the post office a break and send out e-greetings this year to you all via this website. And so with that said, happy holidays to you all! We hope you have ...

Left to Right: Acacia, Amy, Dave, Dean, Luke, Ken, Steve, Judy, Suzie & Ken

One of kilauea volcano's two vents was at the upper part of the park. The sunset behind Mauna Loa that night was amazing!      

 

The crew contemplates braving the chilly water at the Black Sand Beach of Punalu'u.  

Sunrise at the summit of Haleakala followed by a pit stop while biking down to sea level.    

Snorkeling at Molokini Crater off of Maui

 

We traveled a little more than 15 hours today to get from Maui to Indianapolis. We haven't slept yet as we're hoping to sleep tonight and get back on a normal sleep schedule. We both had such a wonderful time in HI and it just went by so quickly. Pictures are slowly being loaded here: http://picasaweb.google.com/amy.latka Enjoy!

We have a few minutes here this morning on our last day in Kona to sit in front of Dad's computer and update you all with a few pictures. We are getting ready for a week of relaxing in Maui. Mom and dad are headed to Oahu for a couple of days before heading home. The wedding day was perfect. More pictures and descriptions will follow, but I wanted to share with you a few photos from the day. We wish all of our friends and family could have been here to share in our day, but for those that couldn't, here are a few snaps...

Last night we booked an excursion for Monday in Kona. Dave has been itching to dive at Kona (not just snorkel) since before we went to Kona a couple years ago. He's finally going to have his chance! We have booked a dive/snorkel excursion for Monday. We're going to be doing a Manta Ray two tank dive. Well, let me correct that...Dave is going to be doing a dive along with friends Sip and Luke. Myself and my parents are going to snorkel. I'm really excited about this and I know my parents are going to be thrilled as well. They've never done anything like this before. The excursion starts in the afternoon with a late afternoon snorkel (or dive for those that are diving). Once the divers are in the water, then the snorkelers get to get in and check out the reef for a while. Then everybody gets out, has some dinner on the boat and then we head over to the second dive site where the Manta Rays feed. This is going to be really awesome!

The final fitting went fabulous! Katy did a lovely job. The dress fits perfect and I can't wait to wear it. Just 9 days left! :) I am picking it up on Thursday and then the only thing is getting it safely to Hawaii. Thankfully, it will go in my carry-on luggage. I also bought a travel steamer so that it can be steamed when I get to the condo. Yippee!

I can't believe we're only 10 days out! Yippee! Most of the things are taken care of. The next day or two will be spent confirming everything so that we're good to go when we get there. Monday morning we're going to ge our marriage license and then meet with the Priest who will be doing the ceremony. Everything is very low key, so we'll most likely do our rehearsal at that time. I also have the final fitting on my dress tomorrow. It was supposed to be Friday, but my seamstress didn't have it all finished. I've also decided how I'm going to wear my hair. Other than the confirming, we're pretty much good to go! I'm really excited!

Yesterday I was able to forward the Diocese of Hawaii a copy of the faxed baptismal document from Germany and they informed us this morning that our documents have been approved. They will be forwarding all of the information on to St. Benedict's, which is the church where we will be getting married. Hooray! I'm so thankful that this is all taken care of! Yippee!!

We're two weeks out from the wedding day! Whoo hoo! :) I'm really excited. I have made our reservation at the hotel in Cincinnati for Saturday evening (10/18) since we fly out early Sunday morning. Did I mention that I'm really excited? Dress Status: The final fitting was delayed until this Friday because the seamstress wasn't able to get everything completed. We are go for Friday at 4:30pm for the final fitting. I'm holding the intention that I'll be able to pick it up on or before Tuesday 10/14. Diocese Status: I have contacted the church in Germany and heard back from them. Long story short, the initial church information was incorrect, but many thanks to my ex-mother-in-law (a very wonderful woman) who let us know where the correct information was located. I have been in communication with the correct church in Germany and they are in the process of sending a faxed copy of the required documents. Please continue to hold the intent that the copies ...

So the last hurdle that we are facing is with the Catholic diocese in Hawaii. We are exactly 3 weeks from the wedding date and they have decided that the paperwork submitted by our home diocese is not currently enough to grant us permission to marry in the Catholic church. Agh! Here's the deal: I was married before to a Catholic. However, we were not married in the Catholic church. Nor did we ever speak with a priest about marriage. Instead, we had a ceremony that was written by me, officiated by my grandfather (a minister in the Wesleyan Methodist Church) and performed in a Lutheran Church. In other words, in the eyes of most religious bodies, it really wasn't a sacrement. Because my ex was Catholic and because we didn't speak to a priest about getting married, in the eyes of the Catholic church, we were never married. Strange, but true. The issue is coming into play in that the church has been unable to get in touch with the Catholic church in Dortmund. It turns...

The initial dress fitting was last night. The dress is just beautiful. I really love it! And my shoes are PERFECT with it! The seamstress is a lovely older German woman who is just so sweet you don't ever want to stop hugging her. We spoke in German for most of the fitting and think she was really thrilled to have someone to speak German with that wasn't family. She's from Nuremberg, famous for Lebkuchen and of course where the trials after WWII were held. Anyhow, back to the dress, aside from needing to be taken in on the shoulder straps, it fit like a glove. The hem length will go up a couple of inches and of course a bustle will be put in. I feel so elegant in this dress! Our final fitting is on Tuesday 10/7 at 5pm. Yay!

I spoke with the bridal store this morning and my dress was delivered via FedEx while we were on the phone! Yippee! The fitting will happen tomorrow. I've been wearing my wedding shoes around the house to get used to walking in them. I typically don't wear a very high heel so these, for me, are pretty high. They're absolutely fricken fantastic though and they are PERFECT with the dress, so yes -- I will be sacrificing comfort for beauty. And I'll make sure the photographer gets pictures of them!

So we're 28 days out. Ahhh! Actually, pretty much everything is taken care of. This is so low key, I love it! Somehow, it hasn't stopped me from stressing out about things though. I think I just have a lot on my plate. The good news is that we just have a few more things to take care of to ensure that the wedding really will happen. Ha! Those things include: 1. My dress fitting. This is scheduled for Wednesday 9/30. I don't think it is going to be a huge deal since the dress they ordered was exactly my measurements (aka it was meant to be). Aside from the hemline and the bustle, I don't think there will be much to do. That's a good thing since the alterations lady will only have a couple weeks to do it! I also stopped by the dress shop and spoke with the girl there about the care of the dress. She confirmed what I was thinking...because of the fabric type, it will be fairly easy to transport and de-wrinkle when I get to HI. She said that a travel steamer ...

I am feeling as though its getting down to crunch time with the wedding. We're 44 days out. I have a few things left to finish up and it is my intention to have those completed this week. I really am looking forward to relaxing on the beach for a couple weeks. :)

As some of you may already know, Dave and I started dating in December of 2001. We built a house in 2003 and have many of the basic things that we need -- things that are traditionally purchased as gifts for the bride & groom. We have hmmd and hawed about having a gift registry as we feel that we don't need a lot more "stuff." We also didn't want friends and family members to feel obligated to buy us a gift. However, we understand that some people really do want to send gifts and so we've registered at a couple of places and also have a couple creative alternatives to the traditional wedding gifts. The first are gift registries. If you wish to purchase a gift, we are registered at the following stores: - The Home Depot (in-store only) - Target (in-store or online) The second option is a donation to charities we support. Please consider this as a viable option in lieu of a gift as we believe whole-heartedly in the below charities. You can send tax-deductible d...

No, I'm not talking about the rocking out that we're going to do at the future reception. I'm talking about those beautiful symbols of our everlasting love. Ha ha. How's that for romanticized? Anyhow, we picked out our wedding bands yesterday. I'm thrilled with the option we chose for me. Dave went with a simple and elegant gold band. I have two small bands that will create a wrap effect around my engagement ring. We've also narrowed down the choices for a rehearsal dinner (or sorts) and the wedding night dinner. We've found a couple restaurants that fit our taste and our budgets for the evening. I'm looking forward to celebrating with friends. Speaking of friends, there is a couple from Australia that I met through the Klemmer & Associates leadership development courses I've taken over the last year and they are thinking about coming. I would simply love it if they could make it, but understand if they cannot. The thought of it is wo...

Do to a glitch in the system of the resort website, we weren't able to book the condo I mentioned below. Plus, after talking with Kris, Dave's sister-in-law, who is also our resident Maui expert, she recommended we stay near Lahaina on Maui's west coast. And so, our reservations have been made at the ResortQuest at Papakea Resort . We have an ocean front 1 bedroom condo for the week of our honeymoon. It will be perfect!

We made reservations at the Wailea Ekahi Village in Wailea, HI (on Maui) for our honeymoon week. I'm excited about staying there! :) And I must admit, I'm also relieved to have all of our accommodations booked. Phew! Now there are just things like flowers, photographers, etc. to get the down payments to and we'll be set!

We've made our reservations at the Kona Coast Resort for the week of the wedding. We'll be staying in a one-bedroom condo for the week. Here is the resort website: Kona Coast Resor t I'm really looking forward to spending the week there. We also have a bed & breakfast booked for the night before and the night of the wedding. The night before, my mom and I (and possibly Dave's mom) will be staying there. The night of the wedding, Dave and I will be staying there. It is a very private B&B with a luxurious feel to it. The owner has been wonderful to deal with and I'm very much looking forward to our time there. Now we just need to get our room booked for our week on Maui!

So I was in Greensboro, NC this past weekend for the Market America International Convention. I was there with friends and business partners Alice, Becca and Carol. On Friday night, we ventured over to the mall near the convention center to look for a place to have our eyebrows done. On our way through the mall, we happened by a Nine West shoe store. Becca is a shoe-a-holic and I teased her about stepping away from the entrance to the shoe store. However, upon a little more though, I decided to join her. After all, I still needed to find shoes for the wedding. Nine West has some CUTE shoes. They also were having a sale. Some pairs were on sale on their own, however you got an addition 20% off the total bill when you bought two or more pairs. A girl can't hardly go wrong with a deal like that. And so, I found two pair of fabulous shoes that will be utilized on my wedding day. The first are a pair of silver, strappy heals with big rhinestones on the front. They remind me...

We are getting married at The Painted Church, aka St. Benedict Roman Catholic Church in Captain Cook, HI. www.ThePaintedChurch.org

The scenery is a photo of Kealakekua Bay and the Captain Cook monument. The church where we are getting married overlooks this bay and monument.

David was born in Janesville, WI and is the son of Steve & Judy Latka. He has 4 siblings: Dean, Sara, Austin & Acacia. He attended elementary, middle and high school in Janesville and graduated from Janesville Craig in 1991. He attended college at the University of Wisconsin Platteville where he graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering and minor in Math. Traveling: David enjoys traveling and visiting new sites. He has been to all 50 states, traveled extensively around Europe and has also spent time in Hong Kong. One of his favorite vacation destinations is his cabin, the Moose Turd Lodge , just outside of Wasilla, Alaska. Motorcycles: One of Dave's favorite past times is riding his motorcycles. He began riding in college and currently owns two Hondas: a 1985 VF700 and a 1994 VFR750R. He has taken both over to O'Reilly Raceway Park where they have Tuesday night street-legal drag racing. He also has tickets to the upcoming Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Indianapolis M...

Amy Brachthauser is the daughter of Ken & Suzie Budensiek, of Janesville, WI. Amy was born in Kansas and then lived for a short time in Ojai, CA before her family moved to Janesville, WI. She has one sister, Sarah. Amy attended elementary, middle and high school in Janesville graduating from Janesville Craig HS in 1994. She attended the University of Wisconsin (at Madison) and studied Animal Science, English and History. She graduated in 1999. Horses: Amy has had a life-long love affair with horses. She currently owns a Thoroughbred ex-racehorse named Jewel In The Hills . Jewel raced for 3 years and is the great-granddaughter of the legendary racehorse Secretariat. Amy has invested many hours retraining Jewel for dressage. They are currently schooling 3rd level dressage. Amy also volunteers with the Thoroughbred rescue group Friends of Ferdinand, Inc. Photography: Amy's dad is a photographer. As a result, as Amy was growing up, her dad always made sure she had a camera in her...

Well, we're a little less than 3 months out and wedding plans continue to move forward. We've decided to send out announcements to our family friends so that they are able to keep us in their thoughts and prayers. Even though we're having a destination wedding, it still seems like there is so much to think about, to plan and to do -- not to mention pay for! Ha! But I'm excited to be able to share a lot of the experience with friends and family through our blog and website. While we know most of our friends and family members will not be able to attend, we also know that each of you will be thinking of us on our special day. :) So lets see...what's left to do: - book condo - book rehearsal location - book wedding night dinner - book wedding night hotel - book ceremony photographer - find dress shop to press wedding dress - decide on hair style & find salon - contact local dress alterations person - buy wedding shoes - get announcements mailed - order bouquet Hmmm...