marriage: year one

our first year of marriage, in review. enjoy!
love, us

b-day for the h-man

in celebration of the first day of your 28th year on this planet, i made you a video, kyle. i love you so very much, and i hope you are having a wonderful birthday!

love, k

let's dance

We are in the process of putting together a song list for the DJ and would like your input. The DJ will NOT be taking requests during the reception, so if there is anything you just have to hear, then let us know now. You have one week from the post date of this entry to get us your ideas (that makes the deadline October 7). We want to make sure everybody shows up ready to dance!

election direction

Don't forget that this year's general election will be held on November 4. That's only three days after the wedding! No matter what your political beliefs, we would like to encourage you to get out there and vote; especially in this year's ever so important presidential race. If you have not registered, most states allow you to do so up to a month or less before the election, so there is still time. Below you will find links to some websites providing general voter information as well as websites for most of the major candidates. If we have missed any of your favorite "third party" candidates, let us know.

Election and Voter Information:
http://www.lwv.org/ - The League of Women Voters has an abundance of information for each state, including links to registration forms and info on getting an absentee ballot if you plan on staying in Florida for a few days.
http://www.eac.gov/ - The US Election Assistance Commission also has a lot of good general info, as well as a national voter registration form and a list of which states accept it.
http://www.opensecrets.org/ - Find out where your favorite candidate gets their campaign money!

Candidates (in no particular order):
http://www.barackobama.com/ - He puts the D in Democrat!
http://www.johnmccain.com/ - Umm...
http://www.votenader.org/ - The guy who brought us seatbelts tries to bring us democracy!
http://votetruth08.com/ - Cynthia McKinney is the Green Party candidate. It is possible to nominate a woman for president!
http://www.bobbarr2008.com/ - Give me Libertarian or give me death!
http://www.baldwin08.com/ - All constitution, all the time!

sarasota info & airports

If you're looking for info on how to get to Sarasota and what the heck to do when you get there, then see below for some useful information regarding area airports, as well as a link to a local tourism website.

Airports
There are several airports in the vicinity of the Sarasota area. Below you will find a link to another interactive map that includes all of the airports (and their codes for easy flight searching). Most of you will fly into either Tampa International and drive to Sarasota, or fly directly into Sarasota/Bradenton. You will generally find that flights into Tampa are going to be the cheapest option, but I've heard that there are specials on flights directly into Sarasota right now. There is an airport in St. Petersburg, but it is very rare to find affordable flights (I mention it here just in case). For those of you who might be flying into Orlando, you will also find your airport on the map.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=27.780772,-82.2052&spn=0.981713,1.436462&z=9&msid=111033380843199368115.0004554cfde0931e927e1

Feel free to post comments here if you know of any good travel deals, or if you are willing/able to help give rides to and from the local airports.

Sarasota Guide
If you've been wondering how you are going to pass the time in Sarasota before and after the wedding, then follow the link below to find recommendations for local restaurants, shopping, and attractions. The Sarasota area has some of the most beautiful beaches in the state, and, even if you don't have time to spend a whole day there, you should at least take in a sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.sarasotafl.org/

video

in case you need more of the 2ks, watch our video!

the ringling museum

Since announcing the location of our wedding ceremony, we have been getting a lot of funny looks and questions about why we chose Ringling. While it is true that we can be a little strange, we are not quite strange enough to get married at the circus (actually, we just couldn't afford to hire the ringmaster, and Kyle would be prone to motion sickness on the trapeeze). In fact, we are going to be getting married under the banyan trees on the front lawn of the Ca d'Zan, the beautiful mansion John Ringling built for his wife Mable with all of the money he made from the circus (literally all of it). Here is some information about the Ringling Museum and Estate, as well as a 3d map of the grounds.

To find out a little history about John and Mable and to take a virtual tour of the museums, mansion, and grounds visit http://www.ringling.org/.

On the big day, you can follow the below directions and Kyle's homemade 3d maps to get you through the grounds and to the spot under the banyan trees. We will also have signs posted throughout the estate to direct you to the right spot.

Directions:
From University Pkwy, go straight into Ringling Plaza (across US-41/Tamiami Trali); continue until end
Turn left onto bay Shore Road at the stop sign
Make first right into side entrance of Ringling
Continue on driveway beyond buildings; road curves to the right before the bay
Turn left and park in parking lot just before the Ca d’Zan
Maps:

map time

Follow the link below to find an interactive google map of the Sarasota/Bradenton area. Click on the icons to find the addresses and phone numbers for all of the wedding locations.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=111033380843199368115.00044f4027f5a7b8648de&ll=27.422367,-82.569809&spn=0.260252,0.351562&z=11