{It's been awhile...}

Well, I have been so bad at keeping up with the blog!  Bad, bad, bad! I know, but I guess I have a lot of catching up to do.  Since Christmas/New Years we have been dealing a lot with the VA and getting Chase his knee surgery!  It has seemed like a never-ending battle but we are finally scheduled for Chase's cadaver tendon surgery July 5th!  Not only that but he starts school in August to complete his degree in Science!  Lately our lives have been nothing but work and paying bills, most definetly this first year has been tough for us but you either grow together or grow apart and I am so very greatful to always have a shoulder to lean on!  I am still working very hard on my Interior Design business which has been growing like crazy!  I have hired my first employee and now are expanding the building we are in with another company to occupy more employees as well as have our clients come and visit the space!  Very exciting steps in both of our lives and we are excited to see what the future holds for us and our careers!  [Want to check out my company?  SN Design Studio] 

My company logo!

On top of running a company, Chase getting surgery and starting school we are in the midst of trying to find our first home!  You could not imagine the endless dreams of design I have for my OWN home!  Everyday I work hard to complete other peoples dreams of their homes and offices but finally it will be my turn to design a space for my little family!  Don't worry though I will blog a ton during my designing of our first home and the pieces that are a must have!    If you have a Pinterest you should follow me on there as I start to compile a board just for my home inspiration!  So far finding a home though has been tough!  Chase and I both have such a vivid idea as to what we want in our home and what we don't want!  Although it is starting to look up and we should be in a home no later than February!

One of my colors...plus I love geometric patterns!

 

Coming up is Father's Day!  Woohoo, I cannot wait to celebrate with Chase and this year we are making a trip to Colorado to go see our favorite little person!  Miss Capri has been greatly missed as we have not been able to see her since our last January visit!  Now she is 3 years old and so full of energy, as well as some more naughty tricks!  She will be such a delight to see and what a great vacation!  We asked her what she wanted to do when we came to visit and she said she wanted to go to the zoo, so we will probably take her to see her favorite animal which according to our phone conversation last week was an Elephant! 

Capri

More to come along with some pictures! 

XOXO Chase & Stephanie Mainville XOXO

{Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year}

Well I am a little late on the Christmas and New Year post! Oops! It has been a very busy start to the new year and my last post was all about family photos with Miss Capri.  She was in Arizona with Chase and I from the 26th to the 1st. It was a blast!  For my first New Years post I want to share with you the photos of our last few days in the year 2011!

On the 26th, a Monday Chase and I picked up Capri that late morning for what was supposed to be breakfast ended up being lunch due to the crazy long line at Ihop...sad! So we went to On The Border and we took a few pictures together but here is one of my favorites!

We wanted to have a more relaxing trip for Capri this time around being as the last time we saw her was the wedding and was a complete whirlwind of a weekend.  We want Capri to get comfortable with being at Daddys & Stephanie's house! Capri loved her "new bedroom" and her "new bathroom"!  She was so cute always calling it that and it was so much fun.  Capri after her nap was playing with her new jewlery and this picture turned out amazing...thank you Iphone!

She has defintly turned into a little kid now...not a baby! But how pretty and she looks like Chase! Ha Ha

We took Capri to the park with our neighbors and their little girl and her and daddy rode the carousel, then played on the swings.  Chase and I both had so much fun playing and feeding ducks. 

One of the last nights that we had Capri we had dinner at Red Robin....yumm! Then went and played and got ice cream at the San Tan Mall.  She played on the big bugs and the slide.  Before we left we had to stop at Build A Bear and not just because Capri loved it but because they had the pink Hello Kitty bear!  Capri was such a doll when she was building her Hello Kitty and give it a heart...sooo sweet!

It was so great being able to spend time with Capri and have some fun! We miss her so much now and I still have not taken the car seat out of my car! Ha Ha! Her birthday is coming up on March 2nd and we were really hoping to make it up to Colorado but Chase has injured his knee even worse recently and so between appointments, work and surgery its not looking very possible...hmmp.  Thats life though! We are still sending her a box of presents so Chase and I will have tons of fun picking out all her things! I am sure Ill post all about it eventually!

Last but not least I just wanted to share these last few pictures of Chase's and my first Christmas married! Ahw!

My daddy with my Yorkie and my sister, Rachel's Yorkie on
on Christmas Eve!

Our first Christmas tree that was all ours! I did'nt think we
could put it on the car! It worked!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Love the Mainvilles

{Our First Family Photos}

Chase and I were of course already looking forward to our first holidays as a married couple in our own home but this Christmas we were flying Capri to Arizona to visit her daddy and Stephanie.  While Capri is here we set it up to do photos of the three of us!  Here is a peek at what Lorraine Craig Nunes  took of us at the Groves Church in Gilbert, AZ.

{Love the Mainvilles}

{First Thanksgiving}

Okay, this wasnt our first Thanksgiving ever...but it was our first Thanksgiving as a married couple and guess what?! I cooked every single dish we enjoyed this year (except the pies but c'mon it was a crazy Thanksgiving and my first).  Anywho, every holiday it seems that something has to happen right?! Chase ended up in the ER the day before Thanksgiving.  I was in my usual routine on Wednesday morning when Chase tried walking out from the bedroom and dropped to the floor in pain.  We had no idea what happened other than the fact that his back was killing him and he couldnt stand/sit without pain or the help from someone so we went Banner Gateway (which if I might add is a beautiful hospital...planning on having my future babies there ha).  After a few pain killers, muscle relaxers and XRays we had left the hospital knowing that he had a herniated disc in his back and we are following up with a specialist for an MRI/physical therapy.  Chase is doing much better now but still is in pain with too much activity so he is not completely fixed but I love his hunch back self just the same! 

Chase on pain killers while I sat close waiting to go home <3

Back to our lovely Thanksgiving though.  I made of course a turkey, bought a Honey Baked Ham, candied yams, homemade mac & cheese, dinner rolls, stuffing, mashed potatos & gravy, strawberry jello salad and cranberry sauce.  All of which turned out amazing and my turkey I have to add was beyond my expectations.  Im not going to lie, I normally am not a turkey person unless its cold the next day on a roll with some mustard, lettuce etc. but this was so good and I have to give props to my amazing turkey rub!  Google of course helped me out with this but it was easy! Olive oil, italian seasonings, pepper, salt and lots of fresh copped garlic! Mhhmm. Everyone (Sherry, Dean, Hunter, Megan and Chase)  all had a good time and everyone loved the food! So I guess I can do it and my hubby really liked having Thanksgiving at {our} house.  It was sweet and simple. Perfect.

Here are some pics from our Thanksgiving day!

The fam bam lovin my cooking

Table shot!

He loved my food and that gown? Don't ask!

I realized too late that I didnt get a turkey pic...

That 3 pot crock pot was ah-mazing...thank you to who got that for us for the wedding!

stuffing, mashed patatos & mac&cheese



Honey Baked Ham & my family favorite...strawberry jello salad



My kitchen is small but hey it worked!

Chase and his nifty ways...

Happy Thanksgiving
{Love Mr. & Mrs. Mainville}

{Newlyweds}

Being a newlywed has been amazing! In today's age you hear of so many negative things regarding marriage and as you are preparing for your own marriage there are always those people you meet or know on the sidelines who have been burned once or twice before or tell you how young you are...they always have to put in their two cents. Which now that we are married (2 months now) the question from every single person has been..."hows married life?" Well married life is amazing everything I thought/hoped it would be! When you marry the person you know you are meant to spend your life with it just all works out, it all feels right.  Love is about compromise, forgiveness and being a supportive partner in life that we all are trying to figure out.  So enough with my lecturing but I had to get that off my chest ;) 

Anyways, onto our lives now! We spend a lot of time working...but thats what pays the bills!  Although we have so much more responsibility and pressures having our home has been the best.  Chase and I were just saying as we were laying in bed the other night...there is just something about having your home and knowing you have your wife/husband at home ending the days with you and waking up next to you.  It is really comforting.  

There has been some trial and error in the cooking department...lol Chase is such a picky eater but I am slowly breaking him ;) he ate spaghetti {which he hates red sauce}, some veggies but still refuses cucumbers! Who hates cucumber?!  Anyways, one of my biggest things ill never do again is believe that the "easy chicken" recipe in any cookbook is supposed to taste good!  haha It was the most boring tasting chicken and rice that I couldnt eat it {Chase tried choking it down, what a sweetheart}, needless to say we ordered pizza. I have a great husband though because whether something has turned out amazing or crappy he will eat it and he doesnt complain! Im a lucky wife! 

We are now on the path to creating a better future for our little family.  Chase is getting enrolled into school again to complete his degree and I am working hard along side my mom to get our company working more and more!  We are currently living in an apartment {that I actually love, just not the 3 flights of stairs} and we are trying to save for a house one day that we can start a family in!  Buying a house is a big deal, much bigger we have decided recently than we have ever thought before. There is the bedroom issue, one or two story and what about the area and school districts.  We are not just buying a house for us its for our future family so we are waiting to buy something somewhere that we both like! Personally, I like the cute little neighborhood off of Elliot and Higley {I think thats where?!} they have the white fence look and they arnt all stucco ugly Arizona homes ;) 

Finally, the holidays are coming up and it hit me the other day that this year my partents arn't "Santa" so Chase and I have started deciding on our own traditions and we are each doing eachothers stockings and after some good news today Miss Capri will be here the day after Christmas and so Chase and I are going to do her stocking together and open them together the day after Christmas this year.  Oh, also I am attempting Thanksgiving this year for my Mainville side of the family and I can't wait. Let us pray that nothing burns and everything is perfect! 

Thats all for now...{I type way too much}

Love the Mainvilles

{our wedding} 09-10-11

First and foremost a huge thank you to everyone who made it to our special day and anyone who helped! Our wedding was absolutely perfect without a doubt (and after 13 months of planning it better be). We had about 175-200 people in attendance and we all celebrated at the lovely Inspirador in Chandler,AZ off of Arizona Avenue and Boston. So here is a recap of the events the day of...

My day started pretty early we had Capri and the girls started getting ready at Luxe Salon & Spa around 9am. Capri and I went out for breakfast and then drove to Luxe meeting up around 11am. Chase and his boys were just required to be at the venue by 2pm (they always have it easier). Us girls got our fabulous makeovers and then left and headed right over to Inspirador.

Upon my arrival at the venue I was excited and anxious...and hungry!  Thank goodness Seranos was right next door!  On my wedding day I always envisionsed myself being very praticular and like a crazy woman with so much going on but I was the complete opposite. I felt calm and ready, so very ready to marry the man of my dreams.  Chase and I were very traditional in the way that we did not see eachother all day until I walked down that isle and even in the 13 months of planning not once had he seen my dress! I wanted it to be a surprise.  I had something old (one of the diamonds in my ring was my mothers that my dad bought her on their 11th wedding anniversary), something new (well, a lot was new but lets just say my dress), something borrowed (a hankie from my Aunt Linda) and something blue (on the inside layer of my dress I had "Stephanie Nicole Nelson wed Chase David Mainville on September 10, 2011")  Everything was perfect! 

As the ceremony started I was so nervous, not for the obvious reasons but actually because I had been super sick for weeks before the wedding. I didnt want my voice to crack during our vows or for me to get the tingling sensation to cough! That would just be horrible...and I didnt want to cry!  (Although, I swear Chase got a little teary eyed...he will deny it!) Chase and I did have a convenant wedding so we went through 8 weeks of premarital counseling and having a pastor from the church I grew up in and in our faith was amazing.  Also a cool detail of the wedding decor just to point out I had lighting effects everywhere but during the ceremony when the bridal party walked in the colors was green and when I started to walk down (to Bubbly by Colbie Caillat on the harp) all of the lights would be white.  One of our favorite parts though was lighting the unity candles with Capri.  She was such a doll the whole wedding always happy and never shy, she loved all the attention!  We wanted to include Capri in the unity candles because it wasnt just Chase I was marrying I am in love with him and his daughter.  We were becoming family and it only made sense to include her on such an important part! 

After the ceremony comes dinner and let me tell you it was the best food ever! What was on the menu you ask...well we had either Ceasar salad or Wedge with ranch dressing.  Filet or breaded chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and small carrot bundles!  Santa Barbara Catering was amazing, they were quick, everything was hot and we never had to ask for a thing...it was like they were reading our minds!  I would recommend them to any one of my friends or even someone I have never met...they were awsome!  As long as we are on this talk of food the cake we had was also amazing! Designer Cakes by April did a great job and not only did she do our wedding cake but she did the grooms cake and my bridal shower cake!

Okay, moving on to the reception...I will not go to crazy into detail but as favors and just for fun we had a photobooth and of course we had a cigar roller!  My family as well as I am obsessed with cigars...I la la lovve them!  It was a huge hit, everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves...the only downfall was that it rained on our wedding day and we had a courtyard set up with the cigar roller and photobooth that was located directly off the reception with big glass doors that all opened up.  I can't be too upset though because I guess its good luck if it rains on your wedding day! Nothing was going to ruin our day though, like I said I was so calm and happy! We had an amazing DJ named Desert House Productions who put on a great show and all the lights went to the beat of the music it was a party thats forsure!   I threw my bouquet and my brothers girlfriend, Alexis caught the bouquet.  Chase threw my garter and Garrett one of his really good friends caught that (after it had been ripped of course though). 

...and by the end of the wedding we were both exhausted and ready to get to our hotel room.  We had an amazing car waiting for us outside of the venue....

{Love the Mainvilles}

The Honeymoon

Okay first things first...We had such an amazing time at our wedding and seriously could not ask for a better or more beautiful time!  We were surrounded by our family, friends and most of all little miss Capri.  Having her with us was the best time and made my baby fever crazier!  Lets not get ahead of ourselves though there are no new baby Mainvilles yet!  I will post and talk more about every detail of our wedding after I get our photos back though...our photographer still has them and we are so anxious to get to see them.  So we will do this a bit backwards, with our honeymoon first.

Chase and I had no idea where we were going for our honeymoon because my grandparents were secretly planning our entire trip.  At the wedding they annouced we were leaving on the Monday after our wedding to Cancun, Mexico!  We were thrilled and could not wait to get out of town to spend some time just the two of us...especially because any of you who have thrown a wedding know it is sooooo exhausting! Any ways here are a few photos and timeline of just how our honeymoon went :)

This was the view from our suite we had a two bedroom, two bathroom, two kitchens, a living room...needless to say it was crazy huge and the bell boy couldnt get over the fact that it was just the two of us.

Here are a few photos of our suite. It was so nice and the service at our resort (The Westin Cancun) was the best Chase and I have ever experienced!

It was so humid while we were there that fixing my hair was completely pointless so this was the main style I stuck to...Chase didnt seem to mind haha

While we were in Cancun we spent a lot of time on the beach and in the ocean but we had to do some adventure while we were there so we went several hours away to two different Mayan Ruins (Tulum & Chichen Itza)  Also we went snorkeling on the reef outfront of the Tulum ruins which is one of our favorite pictures from the whole trip!

Love the Mainvilles