Saturday 16 July 2011

Stare

Round 31: April 2034 (Autumn)
last update/next update

Jace Novak is 77 and Magdalena is 70.
(Lia is 37, Maia is 32, Ethan is 28, Annabel and Georgina are both 10 and Gabriel is 7)

Narrated by Magdalena Novak

Recently, I came down with the flu. I had it a few years back and had to be hospitalised and just hoped I wouldn't have to go through that again.

I didn't feel nearly as sick as I did last time but I still thought it was best to pay a visit to my doctor anyway, just to rule out anything even more serious.

I wasn't too worried but I still hate going to the doctor. There's always that niggling concern that it might be something big.

Dr. Sitko is very good though and he put my mind completely at ease. I was just ordered to try to eat as well as I could and to rest up.

That was hard for me, because it left Jace in charge of all the cooking and cleaning and he's not exactly the tidiest man in the world. It was all I could do not to get up and wipe the counters down again after he finished with them.

Fortunately, it was a short illness and I was feeling better quite quickly. I still haven't got my energy back though. I think I'm just getting older and am really feeling it.

The shop is becoming too much for Jace of late as well. Running a business is quite stressful at this point in our lives.

Part of the problem is that when Jace does something, he puts his all into it and that means that his days at the shop are usually very, very long.

He still loves it but he just can't handle it as well as he once did.

So Jace and I are starting to get our ducks in a row so we can both retire. We'd already decided to have Maia take over the shop one day, so Jace asked her over to discuss it.

Maia is still prepared to do that but asked if we could maybe delay it until January or February next year.

She told us she was anticipating being very busy until then.

I know what I was hoping she meant but I didn't want to get my hopes up.

But as it turned out, it was exactly what I wanted; Maia and Ethan are getting married!

I could hardly believe what I was hearing but I was so excited at the same time.

We can't afford extravagant gifts like houses and honeymoons like some parents but Jace is very keen to do their floral arrangements free of charge.

Maia and Ethan got engaged several months ago but they decided not to announce it until they were ready to set a date.

They were worried I'd be annoyed about that but I'm really not. I'm just happy it's finally happening! I thought I'd be waiting forever!

A few days after that, Maia asked me if Jace and I would mind holding the wedding in our backyard. I should have guessed. Maia likes things to be very relaxed, so a wedding at home suits her and Ethan.

Of course, we don't mind. Our house is small but the backyard is quite big. The guest so far is long but not extravagantly so. I think we'll be able to pull off a lovely wedding here.

Weekends for us are usually very quiet but it's been so busy since Maia and Ethan announced their engagement. Maia, Lia and I have been down to that bridal centre so many times!

We're having trouble finding a dress Maia likes. She's very no-frills and most of the dresses in the stores are the opposite!

Lia thinks she's being a bit picky but big frilly dresses are the kinds Lia prefers. Maia just has a very specific idea in mind.

Annabel, Georgina and Gabriel are going to be in the wedding, so they've all been dragged along on our shopping trips as well. I'm sure they're getting bored of it by now!

Well, not Annabel. Annabel seems to relish it, which I would never have expected. She's the more tomboyish of the twins.

Jace and Maia have already started talking flowers as well. Maia is thinking of having them in pink. Pink was Tessa's favourite colour, so it would be a little nod to her.

Jace is a master at floral arrangements, after creating them for some 40 years now, so whatever he does will be gorgeous.

He is about as excited about this wedding as I am. We always talk before we go to bed at night and Maia getting married is the main topic these days.

We're both hoping they don't wait too long to start a family afterwards. Ethan is quite keen to become a dad, so maybe he'll be able to convince Maia!

Notes:
  • Title is from Stare by Pavement.
  • Magdalena was one of the Sims who rolled the Flu Epidemic ROS this round. Only two more to go!
  • Have you ever seen a Sim have food flying out of the bowl like that while they're cooking? Jace has no neat points, so I'm not surprised but I don't think I've ever seen that before. I'm going to have to look more closely at my sloppy Sims!
  • Annabel started browsing autonomously while shopping, which I've never seen a kid do before. It was kind of cute though!
  • I have Maia and Ethan's wedding scheduled for January 2035, so it will be the first post of the new year after the birthdays. :) I have had stuff picked out for her since they got engaged, which is pretty lame, since I only just finalised Matilda's things today and her wedding in the next update I'm supposed to be working on!

19 comments:

  1. This was such a fun update! I really like the dress shopping pictures. I cannot wait for these weddings that you've got coming up. You always put on such beautiful weddings!

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  2. Man, I'm with Mag, I never though Maia would ever get married. I can't wait until the wedding. I said that already. LOL But I can't!

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  3. Mandie, glad you enjoyed it! I want to make over the bridal centre a little but it still works well for wedding prep pictures! There's a while until Maia's wedding but I'm about to start shooting Matilda's this afternoon. Eek!

    Thanks for reading!

    Riverdale, LOL, it was a very happy and welcome surprise for Magdalena and Jace. They've been nagging Maia about marriage and babies for years and now they're finally getting to tick one of those boxes. :D I'm really looking forward to doing their wedding.

    Thanks for reading!

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  4. I am so excited for the wedding. It was a bit sad seeing the girls shop without Tessa, but it was comforting seeing the nod towards Tessa with the flowers.

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  5. I always love reading about your sims' weddingplanning! I'm looking forward to both weddings!
    Picking out things for a wedding might go easier for one than it does for the other. I've had Jo's dress in mind ever since I saw it, and I already know where she and Jack will get married and I think I know the color as well too, however I have no clue what to do with Elisa and Harald or with Jack and Lawrence, and they are getting married this your while Jack and Jo will get married next year!

    I'm glad Magdalena felt better so quick and that she didn't have to get hospitalised, you always scare me when you have to do that to your sims!
    Jace took good care of her when she was sick.
    I have to pay more attention to my sloppy sims, because I really have no idea if they have food flying around when they are cooking! lol!

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  6. Apple Valley, that was definitely sad for me too, especially when I realised Tessa would have been 25 this year! But the flowers will be a nice little tribute to her.

    Thanks for reading!

    Tanja, I'm all excited to see your upcoming weddings too!

    I guess I just have a better idea of some Sims than others. Or better custom content! Although I'm planning on finishing Matilda's wedding today and I think I did manage to find stuff that suited her. My main problem with her was that I usually use one of the Sims' favourite colours as the wedding colour but Matilda's favourite colour didn't really fit her. So I changed it to purple and then everything fell into place.

    LOL, I didn't think anyone would be scared about Magdalena this time around, seeing she was narrating! I have no earthly idea how I'd kill off a Sim in the same update they were narrating. My writing skills just aren't there, lol!

    Thanks for reading!

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  7. I figured since Magdalena was talking that she'd be fine. Granted, there was one time I was wrong and the narrating character was a ghost, but that was only one time, and I haven't seen any ghosts in Sullivan!
    I'm so geekily excited about Maia and Ethan's wedding! I feel like I've been waiting forever for them to tie the knot, but at least we have a date.

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  8. Maia was able to give Magdalena something to be excited about, which is very nice. I'm glad Maia will be taking over the shop once Jace retires--here's hoping he and Magdalena will be able to relax for a little while and enjoy their grandchildren. I can't wait to see the wedding!

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  9. Fini, LOL, no, no ghosts in Sullivan! Strictly a non-supernatural hood! I think all my dead Sims must realise that, because I once took one to the cemetery at night and no ghosts appeared. They've been scared into submission!

    I'm pretty excited about Maia and Ethan's wedding myself, even though it's so far away. Matilda's is out of the way now, so I have no other weddings to plan.

    Thanks for reading!

    Rachel, Maia's poor parents have been waiting so long for her to get married, so they're quite beside themselves at the moment! They're very involved grandparents (and will be for any kids Maia has as well) and I'm sure more time with the grandkids is something they're looking forward to in their retirement.

    I feel like I shouldn't have planned out this wedding so far in advance, because now it's all decided and I have nothing to do but push through until I get there, lol!

    Thanks for reading!

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  10. I'm glad Magdalena didn't get the flu worse than she did.

    I love the pictures where Maia and Ethan tell her parents that they're engaged. It makes me kind of sad to think that it will be another family gathering without Tessa but it's nice that they're remembering her by using her favorite color.

    Looking at those pictures of shopping for the dress makes me wish that no one ever asks me to be their bridesmaid! I get bored so easily when I'm out shopping. I'm more of the "step-into-the-store-and-pick-the-first-outfit-I-see" kind of girl.

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  11. Sari, Magdalena's flu didn't last long but it was pretty bad while she had it. I never saw a Sim rushing to the bathroom so often!

    It is sad that this wedding will be held in Tessa's absence and that's always going to be hard for this family. All they can do is add little things to remember her, which is as close as they can get to having her with them.

    Oh, I've done the bridesmaid thing. The actual day was a lot of fun but the lead-up was a nightmare! I don't mind shopping for about an hour but if I don't find what I want right away, I get very frustrated and start to hate it!

    Thanks for reading!

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  12. I'm glad Magdalena recovered, and that the wedding is announced and in the planning process! How great that Jace will be able to pass the shop on to Maia, keeping it in the family, and have some time at home for retirement. These are my favorite elder couples, I just find them to be too cute in their little family photos you take. With her cute little round head, perfect heights to one another. Ahh, super sweet!

    I can't wait to see the wedding! And then, to see if they start trying right away, I hope they do, Jace and Magdalena aren't spring chickens!

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  13. Wonderful, I love seeing the older generations, and LMAO at Jace, that is my hubs, stuff flies everywhere when he cooks.

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  14. Maisie, Jace's shop seems like the kind of business that might stay in the family, so I'm glad to be able to pass it down to someone. Maia wasn't looking like such a great candidate for a while there but I think she can handle it now.

    Magdalena and Jace are definitely my favourite elder couple as well! They're so cute. Jace is one of my few short men - he's not much taller than Magdalena but I kind of love it. Lia and Gordon will probably look similar in pictures, when they're elders. Gordon is a shortie as well!

    I'm quite anxious to get Maia and Ethan's wedding done but it's a way away yet. I suspect they'll start trying right away. Ethan is Family secondary, so I don't see him waiting long!

    Thanks for reading!

    Drew, LOL, so it's Jace and your husband! You and Magdalena could bond over that, if you lived in the same world. ;)

    Thanks for reading!

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  15. I remember I downloaded a default replacement to get rid of the flying food. Just couldn't take it after a while, lol.

    Oh I loved the glimpse of Maia in the first dress! She looked so pretty. Too bad she didn't like it.

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  16. Lunar, how funny! It annoyed you so much you downloaded something to get rid of the flying food and I've never even noticed it before!

    The first dress was pretty but I don't see Maia liking a dress like that. Her dress will be a little more low-key. I said I'd decided but I'm now tossing up between two. I might want to save the first dress for another Sim who might suit it better (and who isn't even engaged yet anyway but when did that ever stop me?)

    Thanks for reading!

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  17. Aww that is very sweet that Jace is doing the flowers and they're doing them in pink as a nod to Tessa. Sigh. So much the poor girl is missing :(. I can't wait to see what dress you have planned for her. I know the whole thing will be beautiful in their backyard.

    I'm starting not to panic when you send your sims to the doctor lol. So let's keep this streak going :). LOL I didn't even think about her narrating this update so it'd be kind of hard to kill her. Although, I have seen a movie where the narrator was actually dead. Actually, a couple movies, but I don't want to give you any ideas. ;)

    Can't wait to see Matilda's wedding. The pic you posed at N99 was beautiful!

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  18. OMG, you can't guess how this post made me nervous when I fisrt saw it, because I hadn't the time to read the story. I just saw Magdalena ill, didn't see she was the narrator, so I was afraid to find her dying! *lol* I was already relieved when I saw she was the one who tells the story. And it ends up by preparing a wedding!!! Holy cow, what a happy end! :)))
    I love the choice of the dresses. That's cute!

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  19. Danielle, Jace and Magdalena have been anticipating this for so long that I can see them doing just about anything to help out! I've picked Maia's dress but am still wavering on a couple of other things. I don't know if I want pink dresses as well, as another nod to Tessa, or a different colour I'm considering. Hmm. But I'm looking forward to it.

    LOL, I don't have any elder deaths coming up for a while and no ROS deaths, so hopefully the hospital can keep up its lucky streak! I've seen a few movies where the narrator is dead as well, and read at least one book which is written that way. I think Desperate Housewives, which I don't actually watch, is narrated by a dead character as well. It's not something I think I could pull off though. ;)

    Thanks for reading!

    Sandy, LOL, that cough never looks good, does it? Magdalena came through relatively unscathed, thankfully. :)

    I always love wedding planning and I'm glad to be back into it. Before I did Matilda's wedding, it had been a long time since I'd done one. And now I get to do one for one of my favourites, Maia. I'm as happy as her parents are. ;)

    Thanks for reading!

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