Holy wedding bells, Batman!

I woke up this morning and realized that it is exactly 3 months before the big day! I feel a mix of satisfaction and trepidation as I realize that I have so many tasks complete, yet so many tasks yet to even get started on. I feel very good about what I've accomplished (with the help of friends and family) but I definitely need to kick it into high gear...I DO NOT want to have a ton of things to get done at the last minute!

I'm also feeling a tremendous mix of emotions. The excitement I have for beginning my life with "B" is just boundless but, at the same time, I have so many other emotions mixing with it:

• Fear - of all the changes that will be taking place in my life...new home, sharing a home with another person (pets don't count for preparing for this day), getting to know each other in the day-to-day humdrum of life. And the thing I'm always the most fearful of...the unknown and that whole not knowing what the future holds.
• Sadness - that I'll be further from friends and family than I've been in the past 12 years. They are SO important to me and I get sad thinking that I may not see them quite as much (sniff sniff). I must say, I'm truly bless that "B" totally understands how important my friends and family are to me and has been very sympathetic to know how difficult this change will be.

As I ramp up for the next few months, I'm daily becoming more aware and appreciative of all the wonderful people in my life. My deepest thanks and love to my friends and family for all that you are, all that you do, and for all your love and support...you know who you are!

Oooouuuuurrr house...

...is a very, very, very fine house. Okay, so there aren't 2 cats in the yard, but the house is a very nice house (and we do have a crazy squirrel). "B" and I closed on our dream home in mid November. "B" is living there now and I'll move in a few days before the wedding in March. So, it doesn't exactly feel completely real to me yet and probably won't for a few months, but he's settling in and I'll slowly start moving small stuff over the next few months.

So, long overdue, here are some pics of our new home:

Beautiful silestone countertops and appliances that are only a couple years old (yeah!)

Family room, which gets lots of light (picture taken from the loft).

Now, lets take a trip down the beautiful wood floors in the entryway.

And up the stairs to the loft and the bedrooms. When at the top of the stairs, the loft is to the left and looks down into the family room (you can see the opening in this pic).

Here's one of my favorite rooms...the loft. It also gets lots of light and it will be my room to relax in, read a book, whatever. The princesses are going to go eventually...once we figure out what we want to do in its place.

And last but most certainly not least, the back yard. Here's a picture of our biggest "lawn" ornament. It's great to have, but takes up such an enormous part of the yard that we're going to dismantle and relocate the equipment. Then our biggest project (for next spring) is to put in a lawn instead of bark dust.

I'm sure I'll have more pics later. Right now the house is pretty empty and probably will be for quite some time as we make it our own.

The fruits of our labor...

I had my Wordless Wednesday partially done, but decided to forego it this week because I thought this post was more important for two reasons: (1) it's a very real reminder of how God uses His people, and (2) i think this is a worthwhile cause.

I went to a rally for the Children's Ministry volunteers at church and they had a guest speaker. The guest speaker told of a cause that is close to his heart. Why? Because the founder of the organization, Scott Harrison, was one of the speaker's Sparky's in the Awanas program. Well, this brings it near and dear to my heart because this will be my 4th year as a volunteer in the Sparks group (that's K-2nd grade) in my church's Awanas program. It was a great reminder that, even through we may never see the fruits of our labor or know how our faithfulness in God's service is used to help others, that God does use us to accomplish His work here.

No, it's not like our speaker went and told the child that he needed to go save people. But, by teaching the children about God, God's love for all people of the world, and about being in service to God, Scott Harrison a former Sparky who put his faith in God a long time ago has gone on to see a need and follow the cries of his heart to give other people of the world something that we take for granted...clean water. Another reason this is close to my heart is that I've been to Kenya. I've walked through the slums of Imara Daima. I've seen the children who walk to school everyday and fill their daily water containers with water from a river where the cows bathe. I admit that I take my accessibility to clean water for granted just as much as the next person. But this has been a reminder to me that there are some that don't know that clean water exists. I can't imagine a life without clean water...it is my beverage of choice.

The cause that Scott started is called Charity: water. Scott started out with what was in his heart and he came up with a simple and unique way of raising money for his initial project. His goal last year was to raise enough money to go back to Kenya and drill a well so the people could have clean water. After the success of last year and their live airing of the drilling project, the organization has decided to take on much more this next year and the goal is to raise 10x as much so they can drill more wells for 33 villages in Ethiopia to be able to have clean water.

So what is his unique waay of raising the money? For the project in Kenya, it was the year he was turning 32 so he asked all the people he knew that have September birthdays to give up their birthday gifts and ask for small donations ($32 for his 32nd birthday) to help people in need. Since he is turning 33 this year, he's asking for $33. 100% of the money raised will go directly to building wells. Of course, everyone is welcome to donate and everyone is encouraged to spread the word. You can visit the link to find out about Scott's story and, if you feel inclined, about how to help his cause.

Please join me in praying for Scott and his organization. If you are a September baby, please consider doing as Scott has done. If you were born in any other month, please consider donating or just sharing this story with others.

Learning to be more gracious

I think God is trying to teach me something...to be more gracious and not whine!

There have been several situations occur over the past few weeks that have brought my attention to how things seem to "just work out". Well, I believe 100% that God is in control and that there is a reason for everything. However, I still find that sometimes it's just so much easier to go straight to the thoughts "Why is this happening to me?" "Not now, God!" "There's just too much on my plate, I can't handle one more thing!"

Last Saturday, "B" and I were sitting in my living room talking about little Sheeba and discussing how I missed her already (after only just a couple hours) and how things were so quiet, etc. Then I said to him that one very good thing (other than Sheeba getting her forever home, of course) was the timing of her adoption. I said something like "Isn't it strange how no one has been interested in her until now, just 1 week before our vacation? Now I don't have to figure out who will take care of her while I'm gone!" And "B" just looked at me and said "Don't question when things work out. We (people in general) so easily complain when things go wrong or don't work out, but rarely thank God when things do work out. We need to learn to thank God more."

I'm in total agreement to what "B" said and already knew that it was God's hand in it all. But it made me reflect on how God's hand has been so visible the past few weeks...all of the hassle with my car that could have been crazy worse than it was (I haven't even shared the whole story yet!), Sheeba's adoption, and the latest is the destination of our vacation. We originally had planned to go to the Grand Canyon, had planned to leave on August 23rd and even got the days off work. Since then, we have changed our destination twice, having never made any arrangements for Arizona. Well, I was watching the news the other day and saw the crazy flooding and dam breakage in the Grand Canyon and I realized that we would have been going at a time when it's not quite at its best (nevermind the rafters and hikers that had to be rescued). So, just one more thing where God's presence is obvious and known.

With all of those events over the past few weeks I've realized that I think God is trying to tell me something. Ya' think?!?

A new home for Sheeba!

I had a very good weekend, productive and fun (most of which I'll fill you in on in a Wedding Update post later this week). But there was one event that happened which makes me super sad and overjoyed all at the same time. The event? Sheeba (my first foster cat) found her forever home and was adopted on Saturday!!!From day one, Sheeba had me wrapped around her little paw. Now my house is once again quiet and I don't have a cute little face looking up at me when I walk through the door. :( But my sadness is all around me. I am overjoyed for Sheeba. When dealing with my car troubles just over a week ago, I worked from home for a couple days and I realized just how much Sheeba would thrive in a home where someone would be home most of the day. Well, she was placed in the home of a retired woman who recently lost her dog of 15 years. I've also had the feeling that Sheeba would do best without other pets around and this woman stated that that is exactly her tintention (for Sheeba to be the only pet). The woman came to meet Sheeba and we finalized the adoption on Saturday. After meeting her, I know that Sheeba will be spoiled and treated like the queen that she is! Through this experience, I was reminded of how God takes care of even the smallest of creatures. Just think of Sheeba's case for a minute:

• Sheeba was found by sewer workers and turned into the rescue for fear that she would get trapped and die.


• Sheeba was given to me at the age of 9 mths to foster until she found her forever home. She was skinny but oh so lovable.


• For 3 months, not one person inquired about Sheeba. She was difficult to take to the adoption days, because she would spazz out in the cages and needed me to sit with her. So, she only went to a few adoption days and we pretty much were hoping for some "hits" on Petfinder.com.


• When her new mom starting looking at Petfinder.com, she came to Sheeba's picture and just stopped. She just knew that she wanted "that cat". Then, when she saw her in person, the woman was smitten. And, don't forget that the home that Sheeba was placed in was the exact scenario that I thought would be best for Sheeba (based on my observations over the few months that I had her).

With that I have to ask...if God takes care and can find the perfect home for a small cat, how much more then does He care for us, who are made in His image? It's just another reminder to me of God's love and provision for me...a reminder that I need quite often.

So, what's next for fostering you might ask? I've decided that the foster thing may be a little tough for me...I just get attached too easily. So, when I get back from vacation, I'm going to start giving "cage breaks" to the cats that essentially live in the cages at the PetSmart that are with Res-Q-Pets (the rescue I volunteer with). I think this will be a great service to these little ones. It breaks my heart to see them in there for weeks on end in the tiny cages, even though I know they are visited often by the very loving volunteers and are very well taken care of. I may occasionally foster when there is an emergency foster situation, as well, but I'll have to play that by ear.

For now, I'm pet-less again and already missing the pitter patter of little paws:(

Scary situation!!!

Tonight I experienced a first...my first REAL car breakdown! I was on my way home from work (running about 10 minutes behind, as usual) and my car was zipping along quite nicely. About 1/2 way home, I stopped at a red light then, when the light turned green and I stepped on the gas, my "check engine" light "binged" and my car stalled...in the fast lane...on a main thoroughfare!!!

Well, I quickly tried to start it back up but, even though it was making a concerted effort, it just wouldn't turn over. So, dial AAA and I got a very slow talker. Very sweet but, when you have cars barreling down on you at 60MPH in daylight so that they can't see the hazards that well...you start to get a little worked up and impatient. I finally had to let her know what a dangerous place I was in and she sped it up a little bit...though, I must say, not much! After about 10 minutes on the phone with her, we were finally done and she did put it in for a rush, which meant someone would probably be out within 1/2 hour. Well, by that time, I was starting to FREAK OUT, because there had been about 10 too close for comfort moments with other cars.

So, then I dialed 9-1-1 to get some cops out there to help. After an exasperating 3-5 minutes talking to the 9-1-1 lady, she FINALLY figured out approximately where I was. Even though I could tell her EXACTLY the road I was on and 2 cross streets within ~100 yards, she needed the town...which I wasn't sure of (UGH!). Thank goodness for the fastest police officers in the East...the first one was there in 3 minutes or less...amazing! And the 2nd was there about another 3 minutes after that! The lovely police officers helped move my car to a gas station across the street...no fun ordeal with no power steering or power brakes when you have to cross not one, but TWO roads in heavy traffic. But with some stellar assistance from the nice policemen, I was in safety in minutes. I did have a dumb "blonde" moment, but I won't go into that!!!

Once I was in safety and waved goodbye to the officers, the tow truck driver came not more than another couple minutes later...about 20 minutes ahead of the estimate (yay!) He was able to tow my car about 10 miles closer to home to his shop at no charge (the shop waved the 9 miles over the AAA allowance...whew). Tomorrow they will run diagnostics on my car and provide me with an estimate (cringe). A couple people thought it might be my fuel pump, which I guess isn't a huge expense, so I'm hoping for something like that.

Well, this whole ordeal was very stressful. I was certain someone was going to plow into the back of my car with me in it, but God just did not have that planned for my day. What I did learn is how helpful people can be:

• 2 cars stopped in the lane next to me to make sure I was getting assistance
• The police officers were great and didn't even make me feel stupid with my dumb blonde moment.
• The tow truck driver was ever so sweet and helpful and the other guys at the shop were so nice too.
• My friend, who I was supposed to make dinner for, drove ~20+ miles to pick me up and take me home.
• And thank good for the Vincentown Diner and for comfort food...diner's make the absolute BEST grilled cheese sandwiches!

Now car-less, I will have to work from home tomorrow (thank you God that I have a job that I can do that with!) but, unfortunately, I will miss our company's afternoon at the Phillies game. It's a free 1/2 day off work but, since I don't have any way to get there, I'll have to work the whole day and will not get the bonus of connecting with my colleagues. Oh well, again, I guess that's just not what God had planned, but still it's a little disappointing.

I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow...and for relatively good news about my car and the amount of $$$ that I'll have to fork over (another cringe).

Wedding Update #6 - Save the Date

Wow! Has it really been a couple weeks since I've given an update on the wedding planning? How time flies. I can't believe that the big day is now only 8 months away...YIKES!!!

I still feel like I'm on target with the planning (for the most part), but I'm getting a little panicked about getting a photographer in place, so that's really my only real stressor at the moment. So here is the latest and greatest:

"Save the Date" cards: They are ordered and should arrive in about a week. I need to get these sent before I go on vacation (Aug 23). Totally do-able, but we're still gathering a few straggler addresses. Since there is a pretty good handful of guests that haven't seen either "B" or I, we decided to go with photo cards, which I did through Shutterfly. Here's a sneak peek of one of my favorite pics that is on the "Save the Date"!
I'm also trying to figure out if I can use labels or if I have to hand address the envelopes.

Photographer: My helper is currently gathering some information from about 6 or 7 photographers. Most I found on line, but a couple came recommended. My goal is to have all info gathered before end of this week and spend some time this weekend narrowing down to 3 photographers with which I'll set up appointments with to meet in person. I would love to have a photographer signed up before end of this month; however, with vacation coming up I'm not sure that I'll accomplish that.

Florist: I'm in the very beginning stages of gathering information about florists. I'll be using the same approach as with the photographer.

Invitations: I've been looking at invitations and am still deciding whether I will take on a little DIY here. Just doing some cost analysis and deciding what exactly I'm looking for. Invitations just seem so over-priced and I'd like to avoid paying too much, without compromising quality, of course.

There are a lot of other details milling around in my little head and I continue to watch the wedding/design shows to get ideas. Oh, and I need to schedule a Saturday in August (only 2 left) for my aunt and I to go try on the younger girls' dresses (my Jr. Bridesmaid and my flower girl). It will be much easier on them to get this taken care of before the school year madness begins!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful family and friends, but I'd like to take today to recognize my mom. Here are just a few of the things I am thankful for about my mom:
- the way we continue to draw closer to one another, even with 3000 miles between us;
- my mom's loving and wonderful heart
- the love my mom feels for her children and how I know she would give her eye teeth for every one of us, including those that she's "adopted"
- her honesty
- her gentle prodding during my formative years, yet letting me find my own direction in life
- her health...I've been too close to losing her two too many times before
- her faults...because, after all, that's part of what gives us character right?


I found a poem that stated very well what is in my heart today and every day. So here it is:

You Were There
You were there when we took our first steps,
And went unsteadily across the floor.
You pushed and prodded: encouraged and guided,
Until our steps took us out the door...
You worry now "Are they ok?"
Is there more you could have done?
As we walk the paths of our unknown
You wonder"Where have my children gone?"
Where we are is where you have led us,
With your special love you showed us a way,
To believe in ourselves and the decisions we make.
Taking on the challenge of life day-to-day.
And where we go you can be sure,
In spirit you shall never be alone.
For where you are is what matters most to us,
Because to us that will always be home...
- Author Unknown.

So, Mom, I hope you enjoy your birthday. I love you and wish I could be there to celebrate with you, but know that I will be celebrating with you in spirit!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Wordless Wednesday - OOPS! Almost forgot!

Venturing out this weekend, "B" and I found a butterfly house. Look at the beautiful monarchs!

I didn't know butterflies were part of the circus...

Close up...

Picture taken by Em on 7/27/08!

Join the fun on this Wordless Wednesday!

Relay for Life

On July 26-27, 2008, my mom, brother, future sister-in-law, and family friend will all be walking in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, in Milwaukie Oregon as part of the Curves for the Cure Too team. Relay for Life raises money to fight cancer and raise awareness of cancer. It honors cancer survivors and remembers those who have lost their lives to cancer.

I don't think there is one person whose life hasn't been touched by cancer. My family has experienced the emotional and physical challenges with two members of our family having fought the battle. My grandma lost her fight after a long, hard battle when I was only 7 years old. My brother never got the opportunity to know her. My mom will be honoring her with a Luminaria candle.

But cancer hit me the hardest when my brother Matt was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma at the young age of 8. I was 17 yrs old when he was diagnosed and it completely shook my world (as it did everyone in my family). When asked what the worst day of my life was, there is no question in my mind...I remember it vividly like it was yesterday. Shortly after finding out that his tumor was malignant, my brother was admitted to the hospital for testing. His tumor was in his throat and, since they couldn't start chemo until they finished testing, the tumor continued to grow until it nearly blocked Matt's airway. I will never forget one day toward the end of his stay shortly before they would begin chemo, my mom had gone down for coffee and I sat in the room alone on a counter. I was watching that little tiny boy with his "ET finger" on (the pulse-oximeter). In his sleep he would gasp for air, then hold his breath and I would just wait to hear him breathe out. That is probably the most scared I've ever been in my life. I truly thought I would lose my brother.

Now, when people ask me the best day of my life, I can also remember that day like it was yesterday. About 6 months after his chemo started, my brother's treatments were done. He had gone through the post-treatment testing and we were waiting to hear the results. My brother stayed with the next door neighbor after school and I would always come home after school, then go get my brother. This particular day, I went home and checked the answering machine. I'll never forget the voice of the doctor as she told how Matt was better, no sign of cancer anywhere! So when I went to pick Matt up at the neighbor's house, I was able to tell Matt that he was all better. Well, Matt is now a healthy 26-year old and has been clear of cancer for 18 years! His recovery was largely because of the new medicines, protocols and diagnostic techniques resulting from cancer research. If we had faced his Lymphoma 10 years earlier, he would not be here with us today.

Finally, my future sister-in-law I'm sure will be walking in honor of her dad, who lost his fight in the recent years. We all have family, friends, co-workers or acquaintances who are dealing with or have dealt with cancer in one way or another. There is so much work left to be done. The Relay for Life is a great way to participate physically and/or financially. All money raised is used to support research locally for all types of cancer and important patient oriented programs.

I am asking that you consider supporting this worthwhile cause. Either in prayer, by participating in a local Relay for Life, or by sponsoring one of my family members who is participating in this event this weekend. The donation is tax-deductible and can easily be made by clicking on the link provided above. Your contribution, large or small, will be greatly appreciated and benefit this very worthy cause.

If you would like to sponsor one of my family members participating in the event this weekend, please click on the link above before August 10, 2008 the click on one of the following names on team Curves for the Cure Too page and it will direct you to the individual sites where you can make your donation:
Ann Nodurft
Matt Arneson
Esther Duggan
Jeanne Lang

Thank you for your support.

Wordless Wednesday - Summer Beauty

Picture taken by my Mumzie...I so DID NOT inherit her green thumb (bummer)!

Join the fun on this Wordless Wednesday!

Prayers for Tricia please

Please keep Nate, Tricia and family in your prayers today and for the many weeks to come. I have been following their story since April, when Tricia received her new lungs. Nate and Tricia have graciously shared their story with the world through all their ups and downs, but they have continuously put their lives in God's hands and will. This new development is just a reminder that it is important not to take any day for granted...every day is a gift from God.

Wedding Update #5 - Gown down

My major achievement this week: wedding gown is ordered...woohoo!!!

It really took a lot less time in stores than I ever could have hoped or imagined. That is probably due to the countless hours browsing the web. In the end, the dress that looked the best on me was the one that I fell in love with online. It is a beautiful Alfred Angelo design which is so incredibly flattering, it looked great even a few sizes too small :) Did I mention I LOVE the Alfred Angelo designs?!? The dress is scheduled to arrive in mid-October, so now the waiting begins.

Work has let up a little, which has helped lower my stress level a bit. That, and the fact that I discovered that I have 4-1/2 vacation days which I still have to plan against. I'm looking forward to taking a day off here and there just to keep the sanity and I might need them to go meet with florist, photographer and the like.

I'm actually really enjoying the wedding planning right now. It's fun to think of the fun details and find the best bargains, while not skimping on taste. I've found that I do best by taking all the big pieces one step at a time. First I worked on determining the reception venue, then the ceremony location, then the dress. Now, it's engagement photos (this weekend), following by "save the date" cards. In conjunction, I'll be working on narrowing down the photographer, florist, and DJ. I'm hoping to have most of those selected by end of August.

I also find it helpful to have a target date for finalizing certain details. It helps to keep me on track, especially with such a busy schedule with work, volunteering at the pet rescue, visiting my love, and house hunting. I missed my target for booking the reception venue by about a week (no biggie), but was way ahead of schedule on the gown (target was end of July:)

I can totally see how people can get overwhelmed and hire a wedding coordinator, but I don't think I could ever be satisfied doing that because I would miss out on the fun of planning.

"Green" with envy

I can't wait to have a house of my own so I can have a garden. I've been hearing from Dirkey and my mom about how beautiful their gardens are this year and then I see pictures and I'm "green" with envy (not really, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to throw in a terrible pun).

Starting in my high school years and thereafter, we always had a garden. Then I had to go and move 3000 miles away so now I cannot enjoy the spoils. Leave it to my mom to make me homesick:) Although I didn't fully appreciate at the time all the benefits of having a garden (maybe it was the incessant weeding, canning, etc...hmmm). But now that I'm older, I am looking forward to having one of my very own. Not sure about the canning, though...jury's still out on that one.

Check out Dirkey's blog to see pic of her beautiful garden and first harvest. And here are some pics of my mom's garden:

My brother put the stone wall up...talented, huh?

And check out the green beans...

Wedding Plans - Update #4

Well, it's been a couple weeks since I've posted an update on the planning, not because there hasn't been any progress, but because of my work schedule and the holiday weekend (which seems a million miles away at this point!) So here are the updates for the week:

Guest List:
I have to give props to the "B" man. He gave me his list a few weeks ago, so we've had a consolidated list for awhile. Both of us pared down a few names at the beginning so we really don't need to do so at this point. I read a great tip for estimating a percentage who will actually attend instead of the random flat percentages you hear that vary about 20 points. This method is to assess your OWN probably percentage for each individual and calculate the cost as a percentage of the per head based on the probability. It's actually quite clever and makes much more sense than a random guess.

Gowns:
My bridesmaids and I are all going out this Saturday for me to try on bridal gowns. I have a pretty good idea of the "tone" of my dress but have been frustrated that I can't find a single store in the area that carries 2 dresses that I fell in love with on a designer's site. Yesterday I emailed the designer's consumer service to find out if there's a way for me to locate a store with the 2 dresses so I can try them on, but I haven't heard back yet. We'll see. I'm ready to try on dresses on Saturday and am actually getting excited. Still a little nervous about fit because I'm short and curvy...what a lovely combination. I'm obviously expecting alterations, I just hope that I can visualize the dresses.

Other "stuff":
I've started researching some photographers and florists and will probably start calling around next week. I've expanded my color palette a little to make it clearly spring and it will also give the florist a good idea of the color of flowers I want for the girls. In order to actually show people my colors, I went to Wal-Mart and picked through their paint swatches, picking the approximate colors that I want. I'm LOVING the combination.

Engagement Photos:
Oh, and don't let me forget the engagement photos. "B" and I are getting our photos taken next weekend. Once we get those back, we will be getting the "save-the-date" cards out in the mail.

A little anecdote to leave you with:
I was at Party City the other day looking at invitations and there was a couple there also looking at invitations. They were having some difficulty agreeing on a style and pricing seemed to be an issue, so I mentioned to the bride that there are DIY invitations that you can buy much cheaper than the printed. She said they don't have time to print their own because they need to get the invitations out the door. They are getting married in OCTOBER!!! Wow! It may be a bit painful for me some days as I stay up late at night doing my research and planning, but I think it will pay off in the end...I pretty much on target with what you're "supposed" to do by certain dates. I just can't imagine being in this couple's shoes and I could tell they were both stressed. Not to mention that their 2 kids were running around the store playing with all they stuff while they are looking at invitations. Wowee!

Quote & Scripture of the Day

I read the below "Quote of the Day" and "Verse of the Day" on the Lancaster Church of the Nazarene website and it felt that God was speaking to me. Boy, I really needed these words! Check them out...I've included the links as well:

Quote of the Day: “The church of Christ has been founded by shedding its own blood, not that of others; by enduring outrage, not by inflicting it.” —Jerome

Verse of the Day: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” —Ephesians 3:20-21

The Simplicity of Childhood...ahhh

Last night I visited my aunt, uncle, and 2 no-so-little-anymore cousins for dinner. I also had on my "to do" list to personally ask each of the girls to be in my wedding (the 9-yr-old as my Jr. Bridesmaid and the 6-yr-old as my flower girl). I had been perceiving that the 9-yr-old (we'll call her "Kat") has been fully aware that the 6-yr-old (we'll call her "Ky") would be the flower girl, especially since Kat has already been one before. Although Kat was completely accepting of this, I could tell she was sad because she wanted to be a part of the wedding.

So I took Kat aside and explained how a Bride needs to pick certain very special people to stand by her when she gets married. Then we talked about how Ky was going to be the flower girl (and Kat got sad) and then, I asked Kat if she would be my Jr. Bridesmaid. She gave me a funny look, not really knowing what that means. Then I explained that she would walk down the aisle by herself, that she would wear a dress similar to that of the big girls (little grin), and that she would carry the same bouquet as the big girls (eyes open wide). Here's the dialogue that ensued (approximately):

Kat: Real flowers?
Me: Yes.
Kat: Do I get to keep the bouquet?
Me: Yes.

Then Kat was smiling ear to ear and she became very excited. There was a little more discussion about how she had just turned the right age to be a Jr. Bridesmaid and she was SO thrilled about that too.

I knew that I had to make asking her a little more special and to explain the importance of her role. What I didn't know is that the thought of carrying a REAL bouquet and getting to keep it would be the final selling point. It was a sweet moment that I will treasure always!

It's official!

Woohoo..."B" and I are now officially engaged!

As my friends & family know, we recently surpassed the 3 years dating mark have been talking engagement/marriage/ring for a while now. So, as of noon time on Sunday, May 25th, "B" got down on 1 knee, shared his sentiments, and proposed to me. We both got a little teary-eyed (something I wasn't sure would happen since it wasn't a surprise, but he was just SO sweet). And I accepted! I'm grateful for "B"s concern that I should absolutely love my ring and his insistence that I should choose the ring I want. We ended up doing a lot of shopping, he had input, and we did A LOT of research on diamonds...a step that I highly recommend! In the end, we got a fantastic ring that fits me perfectly, in size, style, and personality. We both think so."B's" family has been impatient for this announcement, so "B" decided to have a little fun with it. On Sunday we went to a BBQ at his sister's house. I put the ring on the other hand and turned the diamond inward...because you know where they were going to look first!!! Then, when everyone got settled, I put it on my left hand to see how long it would take before anyone noticed. It took awhile but, when everyone found out the questions and excitement started to fly and "B" was so proud of himself that he fooled his family. :-)

At this point, I must give all thanks and praise to God for His faithfulness, even through my impatience. I can see some of the things God has been doing in "B" and I to fine-tune us and prepare us for marriage and for a lifetime with each other. But I guess it's always easier to see these things after the fact. Not so easy to see while your in the midst.

New Addition!

It has been a very lonely few weeks in my house without my "Copper" around :( So, now that the overwhelming grief period is over and I've experienced the joys of mice, I finally signed up to be a foster parent to a cat. I get my first foster cat tonight and I'm so excited that I'll have a furry friend again.

She is a 9-month old female calico named Sheba. It's actually a bit eerie because my aunt had a calico cat named Sheba...WEIRD!!! She just got spayed last week so I'm not exactly sure what to expect, but I'm still excited. I hear that she is very lovable, my favorite kind:) When I get her, I'll post pics and a little more about the organization.

Have you ever "tasted" yarn?

My close friend MamaK and I went to a "Yarn Tasting" this past Friday, hosted by Woolbearers, a yarn store in southern New Jersey. It was their 2nd Annual event, though the first of its kind for MamaK and I. So "what is a yarn tasting" you may ask? Well, it goes something like this:

At each seat there was a box filled with goodies, lots of little balls of yarn to try out. Oh, did I mention that all the yarns were "green"? Since I've never been exploratory in my yarn usage, this was a great way for me to get my feet wet...well, my fingertips, anyways. Each of the little balls was labeled with the kind of yarn and there was a sheet of paper to take notes.

All the ladies just dug right in and started working with the fun yarns, while the waitress came around with coffee and tea. Lots of talking, lots of knitting, and then there was me...crocheting. I got a lot of flack from the knitters, but all in good fun.

As the ladies got further into the night with their knitting (and crocheting), the waitress came around with a scrumptious dessert platter and took our dessert orders. Mmm, the chocolate-peanut butter dessert :-p The ladies fell in two camps, those that put down their crafting to enjoy dessert, or those that left their dessert for their crafting.

After dessert, more talking, more knitting (and more crocheting) and boy how the time flies! Since crocheting uses up more yarn, I was able to finish my sampler of all the "tasty" yarns while we were there. Check out the Mini Me pic...crochet vs. knit (though I did have a bit of a headstart). I kept all the tags on the yarns so I can refer to it later to decide which yarns I want to try out on an actual project.

My favorite of the "green" yarns were the Baby Boo (so soft), the Royal Bamboo, the Tapes (both the Soy Silk and the Bamboo), and the Wool Bamboo. Can you tell I'm a fan of Bamboo?

Since neither MamaK nor I were quite ready to call it a night, we decided to go to a nearby diner. MamaK did more knitting, we ate grilled cheese (mmm, comfort food!), and more talking of course. We hung out at the diner until MamaK and I both became incoherent due to sheer exhaustion just before 11:00pm...boy, I'm getting OLD!

Thanks to MamaK for sharing in the experience and making the night extra fun. Thanks for taking all the pics, too! I'll keep my eye out next year and hope we can do it again!

Oh, and here is a pic of my completed sampler.