Let the Name Changing Fun Begin!

I received the official copy of my marriage certificate from the Ontario government in the mail last night. I have been waiting for 3 months and 4 days for this piece of paper to arrive so that I can officially change my name. Now that I have our marriage certificate let the fun of changing my name begin!!

The name change process seems to be a time consuming process that I am not looking forward to. Many people have told me not to bother changing my name, because it's a hassle, Shawn even told me that it wouldn't bother him if I didn't take his last name, but I'm determined. When we start our family I would like all of us to share the same last name. No one said marriage would be easy and I figure changing my name is one of the many challenges that I will face as a wife.

So here's the name change process:

• 1st step in the name change process is to go to the DMV to have my name changed on my drivers license. This is an important step because most of the other places (including the social Security office) will not allow you to change your name without proper photo identification. (Update - I changed my name on my driver's license shortly after this post was initially published).
• 2nd step in the name change process will be to change my name on my Social Security card. So stop number 2 will be at the social Security Office. I can not change my name at work until I have changed my name on my social Security card (this has something to do with having the correct name on my W2 at the end of the year). (Update - I am currently stuck on this step. I can't change my name on my social security card until I have changed my name on my Green Card. Name changes on Green Cards are apparently a big deal so I am now in the process of applying for my US citizenship so that I can change my name on my social security card, which will then let me change my name at work).
• Once step 1 and step 2 are complete I can start the process of changing my name everywhere else, like work, the bank, credit cards, my car lease etc.

Now I'm a bit of a procrastinator, so it will be interesting to see how long this entire process takes...

If I was truly ambitious I would use a lunch break this week to change my drivers license, but then I remembered that I'm traveling next week for work and all of my reservations are under the name Amy Gray. I wouldn't want to run into any issues with having a drivers license that has a last name doesn't match my reservations or the name on my VISA, so I guess I better wait to change my name on my drivers license until I return from my trip.

Home Sweet Home!

Last Friday we purchased our first home as a married couple.

After looking at 40+ homes we decided to purchase new construction. As it turned out the only new construction that we could afford with an Atlanta address (without having to move to the suburbs) is a townhouse. We found the perfect townhouse for us in the area of Atlanta known as Vinings. We found this townhouse community by chance and fell in love with the homes and with Vinings immediately. We can't wait to move into it next weekend!

Our Return to Laurier!

Shawn and I returned to Wilfrid Laurier University this past weekend for homecoming and our 5 year reunion. We had a great time visiting friends and re-living our University years. I can't believe that it has been 5 years already!

A lot has changed at our little University in the past 5 years. New buildings have popped up all over campus and it seems that the student population has just about doubled!

We were able to stop in at our campus pub Wilf's for a few pictures of beer. Shawn and I met while working at Wilf's back in our senior year of University. The pub is among the many things that have changed on campus, it has been remodeled and hardly looks the same. The only thing that remained from the days that we used to work there was the pub's sign.

In celebrating homecoming we went to the football game, where Laurier won - go hawks go! - as well as to a comedy show and up to Laurier's night club "the Turett" to drink the night away...

All in all our 5th reunion was fun. It was nice spending the weekend reminiscing about our days at Laurier and visiting with friends that we haven't seen in a while - although, we did spend most of our time visiting with friends that we just saw last month...

Life as a Warren

On July 1st 2006 I became a Warren. I married my College (University - for all the Canadians out there) sweetie Shawn Warren. We had a beautiful wedding in Toronto, Ontario followed by an incredible honeymoon in Hawaii, but upon my return to life after the wedding I realized that I have truly entered a new chapter in my life, I am no longer Amy Gray.

Ok, so technically I have not yet officially changed my name...But I do use my new name socially. I have not changed my name on my drivers license or on my Social Security Card, in fact the only place I have only managed to change my name is on my corporate ID card and on my office door, however I have not changed my name in out corporate organization directory or in the outlook directory, which means at work I am leading the life of a person with two names. This is not only confusing to me, but it is also very confusing to the people who I work with. Sometimes I introduce myself as Amy Gray and other times I use Amy Warren. The people who know me as Amy Gray can look up my phone number or email me without a problem but they may never find my office, and the people who know me as Amy Warren have no way of finding my phone number or reaching me by email but they will be able to track me down in person if they really need to speak to me.

I know, I know I need to get my name changed officially so that I can stop this insanity for once and for all...I'll get right on it...

In the mean time I thought that I would mark this large milestone in my life by beginning to document my life and the life of my husband in a Blog for everyone to enjoy.


Here's to life as a Warren!!