9 years ago today...

9 years ago today I was counting down the hours until my 2:00PM wedding.

9 years ago today I couldn't believe my wedding day had finally arrived.

9 years ago today I was counting my blessings...I was about to marry the man of my dreams.

9 years ago today I was trying to force myself to eat some lunch but was too excited to eat much of my turkey sandwich.

9 years ago today I arrived at the church to be surrounded by my loving bridesmaids--my sister Cat, my two best friends Ann and Emily (who arrived with a bag of Burger King), my good friend Nicole and Brian's sister Kristin.

9 years ago today Cat couldn't find the earrings she owned that matched the ones I had given all the other bridesmaids to wear for the wedding and had to borrow a pair from my mom.

9 years ago today I wore the same garter (my something blue) that my sister had worn the summer before (borrowed from my brother who caught it at my sister's reception).

9 years ago today I wore my mom's pearls (my something borrowed) and carried a handkerchief my great grandmother had made (my something old) in my bouquet.

9 years ago today I waited for the rain sprinkles to stop so I could take pictures in the church garden with my family and my bridesmaids. All I could think about was that Brian would be here soon doing the same thing with his family and groomsmen.

9 years ago today I walked down the aisle in the dress of my dreams (I felt like a princess) with my dad by my side (I always was Daddy's little girl and I got teary walking with him).

9 years ago today I had a huge smile on my face as I spotted Brian waiting for me.

9 years ago today we had a short and sweet Presbyterian wedding ceremony.

9 years ago today my husband kissed his bride...twice.

9 years ago today we posed for pictures as husband and wife with our two remaining grandparents--my Granddaddy and Brian's Grandma Marlowe. Granddaddy was so proud of himself for wearing the exact same powder blue tuxedo he had worn to my sister's wedding the summer before.

9 years ago today I was missing my grandmother who had just passed away in June.

9 years ago today the photographer kicked everyone else out of the church so Brian and I could have a moment or two alone as husband and wife.

9 years ago today I rode a trolley with Brian and our wedding party from the church to the reception. My future sister-in-law Shelley had decorated it complete with a flower-covered cooler full of champagne.

9 years ago today I partied with tons of friends and family at a beautiful wedding reception.

9 years ago today everything was a blur as I tried to talk to everyone while being with Brian as much as possible. I couldn't believe he was really my husband.

9 years ago today I realized how truly blessed I was to have so many friends and such an amazing, yet crazy, family.

9 years ago today all my guests disappeared as everyone wandered outside to enjoy a beautiful summer afternoon in Virginia.

9 years ago today my two best friends smoked cigars with my dad and my uncles and humored them all immensely.

9 years ago today Brian and I had our first dance to "Never My Love" and I had to keep reminding him to move his feet.

9 years ago today my dad put Brian's dancing to shame by twirling me all over the dance floor.

9 years ago today I danced with my grandfather--worrying the whole time that he was going to fall over.

9 years ago today Brian's six year old cousin kept dragging me out to the dance floor to dance.

9 years ago today I felt such pride that one of the beers on tap was "Brian's beer" that he had brought from the brewery in Ohio where he was the brewmaster.

9 years ago today I kept trying to enjoy some of the delicious food and kept getting pulled away for some official part of the reception like photographs, first dances or cake cutting--at least someone (thanks, Kate) brought me a beer.

9 years ago today I kindly fed Brian a piece of cake and then was horrified to hear him say that he was going to push cake in my face. (It only took about 8 1/2 years to forgive him for that one.)

9 years ago today our limo got lost on its way to pick Brian and I up from the reception and the band kindly played an extra hour.

9 years ago today we were faking our exit for the photographer who needed to get home to his babysitter when our limo finally showed up. My wonderful brother-in-law (thanks, Ron) had just offered to drive us an hour to Charlottesville where we had an early AM flight.

9 years ago today we left our reception wearing a Minnie Mouse veil and a Mickey Mouse top hat because Brian had just been in Orlando for the World Brewing Conference.

9 years ago today Brian and I made out like teenagers in the back of a limo since we hadn't been in the same state for months and, well, we'd just gotten married.

9 years ago today Brian and I said "I do" and I felt so very blessed to have met such a wonderful, loving, sexy man who loved me so very much.

9 years ago today I had no idea what the future might hold, but I knew who would be holding me in the future.

Happy Anniversary, love! Thanks for 9 wonderful years. I never would have guessed all the twists and turns our lives would take together. I can't wait to see what the future might hold! Here's to many many more years together. I love you so much!

Knitting News

While I was in Ohio, I got a good amount of knitting done on my Petal Halter. The nice thing about N sleeping and napping in the room with the computer is that when I would normally be on the computer (while he was napping and sleeping) I couldn't--so I knit instead. I got 3 1/2 of the 8 petals done while I was there. The pattern calls for just 6 petals, but after completing 6 petals (or 3 tubes), I realized that the top was still way too short so I did 2 more petals to create a 4th tube. I sewed the petals into tubes as I completed each set of 2. After I got home, I finished knitting the last petal and then sewed the rest of the tubes together--all while watching last week's final two episodes of So You Think You Can Dance (Go, Jeanine!).


I haven't blocked yet, but am happy with the top so far. Now comes the hard part--the straps. I've decided to not do the straps as written in the pattern. I want to space them farther out so I can wear a regular bra under the top and I want to make them thinner so they are a little more delicate looking. You can't tell from this picture, but the top currently has an asymmetrical neckline. Dealing with that will be part of my challenge. Anyway, my plan involves picking up stitches on the front for thin straps that will be sewn to the back. I will then pick up stitches around the neckline, straps, and armholes to add some sort of edging for stability--probably some sort of simple ribbing to reflect the motion of the garter stitch. I could just do the garter stitch edging on the straps when I knit them, but then I couldn't do the continuous line from straps to neckline that I want to do. Must continue pondering this and hope that I don't ruin my top with ugly straps. Wish me luck!

To further complicate matters, I started swatching for my next project last night.

I didn't have the mental energy to tackle the straps yet, but still had another 20 minutes of So You Think You Can Dance. What's a girl to do?

Ohio Trip: Part Three, Amish Country

On Thursday, B's parents took the boys and I to Amish Country. After about an 1 hour and a half in the car, a long time for two young boys, we made it to a cool farm stand that had a complete farm animal petting zoo. Both boys were really excited. Although there were a variety of animals including chickens, sheep, horses, ponies, pigs, puppies and rabbits, the most abundant animal were the goats. There were lots of goats...including lots of adorable baby goats. The first thing N did when we got there was lean down and kiss one of the baby goats.






They also had this huge draft horse...

and this animal who was part Zebra and part mule.


Our next stop was a Christmas store called Tis the Season. The boys were in awe of all the Christmas lights and decorations. N kept running around with his mouth open. He couldn't decide where to stop and look.


J thought these bright green and blue trees were especially neat.

We also stopped for ice cream on the way home. It was a lot of driving and a long napless day, but the boys had a blast!

Ohio Trip: Part Two, Friends and Family

Lots of our time in Ohio were spent with friends and family. We didn't get to see everyone I wanted to see, but we got in some good visits.

On Wednesday, we got invited to a playdate at Leslie's house which was so much fun. I got to see 7 of my good "mom friends," J got to see 6 of his friends and N got to meet 6 new friends (the younger siblings of J's friends). It was just wonderful to reconnect with these great friends.

Lillian: the newest member of the group.

It was also Jack's 3rd birthday so we had cupcakes. Here my boys watch Leslie light Jack's candle while everyone prepares to sing "Happy Birthday."

J really enjoyed licking the icing off his cupcake.

Wednesday night various members of B's family came by for pizza. It was a fun night and both boys loved hanging out with their cousins.

My boys with their two second cousins, Lauren and Maddie, from B's dad's side of the family.

N with Will, his second cousin from B's mom's side of the family. Will is 4 months younger than N but about 5 lbs heavier. N is such a little peanut!

J with Joshua and Jacob, the two other second cousins from B's mom's side of the family. Yes, the first three of their generation were all boys with J names.

On Friday, we got together with our former nextdoor neighbor, Marlisa, and her son Will. It was so wonderful to see her. B and I still talk all the time about how much we miss our former neighbors Marlisa and Tim. We met them at a local park by Lake Erie and the boys had a blast!

All three boys enjoyed chasing Grandpa.

Grandpa and N down on the beach.

J and N looking for rocks in the sand.

The whole crew, including two of Marlisa's sisters and a friend, hanging out on the beach. Grandpa helped build a castle which the boys were very excited about.

Seeing friends was definitely a highlight of this trip for me. I even got to go out with some good friends on Thursday night while B's parents put the boys to bed for me. I had such a blast. Thanks, Erica, Leslie, Audra, Sara, Melanie and Cassie!

We can't wait to come back and see everyone again at Christmas!

Our Ohio Trip: Part One, The Zoo

The boys and I just got back from a six day trip to Ohio to see friends and family. We had such a fun time. It was weird to be there as visitors after living there for 8 years. We stayed with my in-laws, Grandma and Grandpa to the boys, and got to see lots of B's family. We also got to see some good friends and I had an amazing night out with some of my "mom friends." Other fun included a trip to the zoo and a trip to Amish country. The weather was perfect--70s and 80s with a nice breeze. I can't believe I used to take that kind of weather for granted.

Here is the first group of photos from our trip. These are all from the Cleveland Zoo.

As many of you know, J loves polar bears. The first time we went to the zoo in Dallas, he was crushed to learn there were no polar bears--too hot! So when we decided to go visit friends and family in Ohio, Grandpa decided we needed to go to the zoo. J's been talking ever since about going to see polar bears at the zoo.

So on Tuesday, we went to the Cleveland Zoo with B's parents and his cousin, Olivia. The boys both loved Olivia and it was fun to have her there. At the zoo, our first stop, needless to say, was the "Northern Trek" to see the polar bears.

On our way to the polar bears, we saw this lovely Grizzly Bear enjoying the cool water on a warm summer day.

N thought the Grizzly was pretty cool--actually I think he really wanted to go play in the waterfall. Grandma had to hold on tight so he didn't crawl right over the wall.

J just wanted to see the polar bears.

We got to the polar bear exhibit and saw this instead...someone cleaning the empty polar bear home. Not good :(.

While J moped, N saw something else he wanted to see...

Sea lions! They were lots of fun. You could pay $1 to buy a fish to feed them. We didn't buy any fish, but enjoyed watching others feed the sea lions or "seal lions" as J labeled them.

Then we saw a crowd gathering over by the polar bear enclosure. So we went back over.

What's that in the background? Yep, that's a polar bear.

Glad he made it back in time for J to see him.

After a break for lunch, we decided to go check out the Rain Forest at the zoo before heading home. It was a big hit. It was inside (so a little cooler) and more contained so we could let the boys run around. A lot of animals were in enclosures with half walls so you could get really close to them.

J and N liked to climb right up next to the glass to watch the animals.
These monkeys were fun to watch and I loved the little tiny baby with his mom.

A group photo in front of the orangutans: N, Grandma, J and Grandpa.

10 Years Ago Today...

10 years ago today I was still recovering from finishing my last two grad courses in a whirlwind three weeks of summer classes.

10 years ago today I was anxiously waiting to hear if I had gotten my first real job. (I did. It was teaching 3rd grade in Charlottesville, VA.)

10 years ago today I was waiting to walk down the aisle in a lovely blue bridesmaid dress when I looked back at my dad and my sister and started crying.

10 years ago today I watched my twin sister marry the man she loved in a beautiful ceremony in the church where we grew up.

10 years ago today I was on a trolley driving really fast across town while rain beat against the windows and tree branches blew past.

10 years ago today I didn't have B with me to celebrate (he was still in Scotland finishing his graduate work) so I partied with my best friends instead. (Thanks for always being there, Emily and Nicole.)

10 years ago today I got to watch said friends entertain my uncles while drinking martinis and smoking cigars. (I miss you, Ann.)

10 years ago today I listened as a good friend sang "I Go Walking After Midnight" to my sister and her new husband and it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

10 years ago today I watched my sister and her husband drive off in his big red truck as they went off to their honeymoon in the Poconos and the beginning of their lives together.

10 years ago today I realized that I no longer held the highest position in my sister's heart and that someone else's happiness would always come first when it came time for her to make a decision--and I cried.

10 years ago today my family got a new member and we have been blessed with him and his bear hugs and his great sense of humor ever since.

10 years ago today my sister married the man of her dreams and I am so happy for them both.

Happy 10th Anniversary, Cat and Ron!

Book List: Death, Divorce and Sex Edition

Here are three more more library finds. These three all include death, divorce and sex--not necessarily in that order. Family also played a big role in the first two. These books were all a bit heavier than my usual chick lit. I found them all to be slightly painful to read at times, but overall enjoyed them.

Who By Fire by Diana Spechler: This novel tells the story of the Kellerman family whose lives are torn apart when their daughter and youngest sister Alena disappears at the age of 6. Now young adults, the two older children continue to struggle with the after effects of this family trauma. Bits deals with her pain through promiscuity. Her younger brother Ash who blames himself for the kidnapping tries to find causes to somehow fill the void and erase the pain--his latest is Orthodox Judaism and he has moved to Jerusalem to live accordingly. This novel tells of the families struggle to save each other and save themselves. An interesting read, this novel has some very powerful moments although the sex scenes were disturbing.

Three Mothers by Sonia Lambert: Any woman can relate to this novel as we have all experienced a mother-daughter relationship--that strange mix of loving someone, but not always getting along. For me, it's because my mother and I are so much alike that we are either best friends or butting heads--luckily the best friends always wins out in the end. In this novel, we meet Susie, her mother Vera and her grandmother Helene. Vera has just been diagnosed with advanced cancer and Susie is struggling to accept her mother's imminent death. She asks her mother to record her "story." Vera suggests that she get her grandmother to do the same. The novel alternates between current day narrated by Susie and the past narrated by Vera and Helene. The past stories revolve around love, marriage, pregnancy, motherhood and eventually divorce. I found it a little confusing at first (not helped by a 10 day break when I went on vacation), but quickly got sucked in. I enjoy multiple narrators and layers. Overall, I thought this was a good read. Again, very powerful at times.

Testimony by Anita Shreve: I have read other novels by Anita Shreve and didn't like them all (I hated The Pilot's Wife) so I wasn't sure about checking this one out, but decided to go for it. This novel takes place at a private high school in Vermont. A tape has just been discovered showing three male students (18 and 19 years-old) having sex with a fourteen year-old female student. When I first started reading this novel, I thought this was a different kind of Anita Shreve--it was not focused on a failing marriage or an affair. But as I got further in to the novel, I realized she hadn't strayed as far as I thought. Another novel told by multiple narrators, I enjoyed the way Shreve let the story unfold in a non-traditional manner. I enjoyed the little clues and nuances that emerged slowly to help the pieces of the story fall into place. However, at times, reading this book felt like watching a car accident about to happen and not being able to turn away even though you really want to. Overall, a good read, but definitely painful at times.

Now I'm ready for some good fluff reading. Maybe a little happier ever after. Is that so much for a girl to ask?