Okay - I really should be doing my assignments right now.  And I will, very soon.  But first I wanted to whinge about them!

I have 2 assignments due on 2 November (11 days away), both for the same class.

• The first one involves measuring up an existing building, the soccer sheds on our uni oval, (see the picture) and drawing it in architectural drawing program (AutoCAD).  It's a pretty huge job.  I've already spent 3 hours just doing the measuring, and about 12 hours drawing - and realised today that I've missed a whole heap of stuff that I really need to include in this, so I'm not sure how long the rest will take.  I'm hoping no more than about 4-6 hours work.
• The second one is drawing and analysing an existing building.  I'm doing the Water's Edge Restaurant/ Gallery of Australian Design Pavilion.  I haven't done much more than take some photos and find the relevant journal articles.  I expect I've got at least 18 hours to go on that one, and probably need another visit to the site as well.

Then I have another major assignment due on 9 November - we have to design a retreat/house for the Dalai Lama.  It's a huge job.  I've pretty much decided on the design, but I have to draw it up (about 6 x A1 pages for the final presentation) and I have to make what has turned out to be 3 scale models of it.  I expect I've got 18-36 hours work left in that.

The biggest issue is that I'm in Adelaide from the evening of 5 November to 8 November for a friend's wedding!  So I'm aiming to get everything else finished before I go.  I'm aiming to get everything done by 2 November, but 3 November is a public holiday and a friend has offered to take the kids that day if I need her to - so I think I'll take her up on that.

Wish me luck!  And also that I don't have a complete meltdown between now and then!

The Soccer Sheds:

This is the Water's Edge Restaurant side of the pavilion (the Gallery of Australian Design is on the opposite side):

I met with the head of the architecture school today to see if it would be possible to go on our planned UK trip next year.  She said 'Yes'!!  In fact, she said "If you've booked it, you have to go"!!  She was really supportive and is being fantastic to help me work out what classes I need to do to finish my degree given they're changing the degree so significantly this year.

What a relief!  And now so exciting!

But first - I have to finish this semester.  My last assignment is due on 9 November, and I really can't wait to get through it all.  It's so huge... 

I'm in the middle of a dilemma and would appreciate insights and advice from my Minti friends.

My husband, his best friend and I have organised a nearly 3 week trip to the UK at the beginning of next year. We planned to go so that we were over there at the time of my husband and my first anniversary and at the time of my birthday (they are both 2 days apart) and we managed to buy plane tickets at an awesome price - with the condition that they are non-refundable, no name changes, no date changes.

Anyway, I have just discovered this week that my university are making dramatic changes to the way the study terms are next year, with the result that the first term is starting a month earlier than in previous years. So when we were planning to be away - which previously was just before uni began - is now in weeks 3-5 of term. That's usually a very busy time in the uni calendar. I fear that if I'm not there I will be pushed quite far behind, and possibly even fail the unit. If I fail the unit, I will be a year behind which puts me further away from achieving my goal of being an architect and working in a career that I love.

Until the beginning of next year, I won't know who the lecturers are. So I can't discuss it with them to find out if I can organise something to accommodate the trip until about 3-5 weeks before we are scheduled to fly out.

My husband is not coping with this very well. He's very concerned about losing the money we've already paid for our plane tickets. He has suggested no one going, which is not appealing, and he's suggested just he and his friend go - which I wouldn't mind, except for the fact he'd be away for our 1st anniversary and my birthday. The idea of not being with him for those events feels devastating to me. And if I had my way, I would really like to go too! The reason we chose to go to the UK rather than anywhere else is because that's where I wanted to go to see a special friend of mine as well as visit some places that are on my life goal list.

I'm at a loss as to what to do and would so appreciate others prayers, insights and advice to help me work out what to do. Thanks heaps!!

Wow - its finally all happened!  I'm married to my amazing BF - who I will have to get used to calling DH now!

Weather-wise we had a fantastic day.  Just wonderful.  Started off with the girls and I going to Maccas for breakfast, then my bridesmaids (BMs) came over and we transported all the vases and birds of paradise flowers to the reception place ready to set up.  First accident was me dropping one of the vases in the carpark at the club and it smashing completely.  Luckily one of my BMs went out and was able to find an identical replacement.  Phew! 

This is a piccie of the reception tables all set up.  The only thing missing is that the chairs were covered in black with orange sashes as well (was done before everyone arrived for the reception).

Then I had got a french manicure the day before, and the polish chipped and a piece fell off.  We spent the rest of the time before the wedding regluing pieces that chipped off and trying to stop me doing anything that would chip them further! The biggest problem of the day was our hairdresser.  She turned up an hour late (still not convinced that her story that she got stopped by the police for speeding explains being a whole hour late) which really threw off the timing for the day.  She also clearly had not paid any attention to my emails telling her what I wanted to do for my wedding hairstyle and asking her to bring the appropriate materials she needed (which she didn't do) - but I was determined not to let her spoil my day.   Thankfully I ended up with a hairstyle I was happy with and so did all my BMs and my daughters who were both flowergirls.

Here's me all dressed up and ready to go before the wedding:

We were 20 minutes late to the ceremony (I was impressed we'd managed to make up 40 minutes of time!) but it pretty much all went smoothly (though later than was intended) from there on in.  We had a lovely ceremony.  I was worried about crying at the ceremony (I bawled at my first wedding) but instead I giggled all the way through!  I was just so happy.

Here's some piccies of the ceremony:

After the marriage part of it, both DH and I made promises to the girls and DH presented them with necklaces as a reminder of the day.

After the ceremony, DH surprised me with an introduction that he read out in Italian and then English - as a reminder of his proposal - and then arranged for us to release 2 doves as a symbol of our marriage.

This is us and most of our wedding party (one of the groomsmen isn't quite in the picture) after  releasing the doves.  The cage / box they were in is in the front of the picture.

We then cut the cake in the church courtyard just after the ceremony so we could share it with all our friends who came to the ceremony but who we couldn't afford to ask to the reception.

This is us just after cutting the cake.

We then went off for photos (there are some great ones on the blog of our photographer: www.kellytunney.com.au) and then to our reception.  There were some lovely speeches, a great dinner, and at the end of the night Chris's family grabbed some of the birds of paradise flowers and made a guard of honour with the flowers held up like swords! (don't have any pics of that yet). 

Here is a picture of us doing our bridal waltz

A picture of me with my bridesmaids (in black) and another friend

So that's the whole day!  We headed off for our honeymoon on the Saturday and spent the last week aboard a cruise ship and visiting some South Pacific Islands.  Got home yesterday.  Now just got to get my land legs back again!!