My Balm

I have not been in touch with my inner musician in quite sometime.

I'm having to dig her out.

I attempted it first by trying out the new church orchestra. Well, the room was hot ( I don't DO heat) and I couldn't even hear myself to tell if I was in tune or not so I just left thinking...hmmmm. This is not what I was going for. I mean, I've played in an orchestra before, but there were no strings this time with several trumpets and flutes at my ear. WHAT was I playing. I'm still not sure. But IF someone heard me, it couldn't have been pretty.

I give up easily, especially when my passion is unstoked and my husband says something like, "you're involved in too much, you need to give something up."

but then I got this call.....

I'm at my mom's discussing the oh-so-wonderful details of my sister's wedding when my cell phone rings

It's the mother of some of my friends from my Dad's old church from about the time I was 13-16 years old.

She tells me her youngest son is getting married (he's a few years younger than me) and he wants me to play at his wedding. Now. I haven't seen these people 14 years!!! ( I think) And they went to the trouble of tracking me down somehow.

He's getting married in 2 weeks. Almost.

Of course I say yes! I mean how wonderful! And I am so flattered. My husband is not...but he's handling it well.

So I've been practicing my violin and now am the proud wearer of short fingernails once again.

Well, he calls today and his fiance wants to walk down the aisle to a song by Meiko, to which there IS NO SHEET MUSIC.

So right now, I am of course writing my own arrangement of this song and am having such a STINKIN GOOD TIME USING MY ACTUAL BRAIN CELLS!

sssiiiiigggghhhhh!

Just had to share. It's not everyday that I get to do something brain stimulating.

The end.

The Wedding (finally...yes, I know)

So here are some pictures of my lovely kids, being the most wonderful flowergirls and ringbearer ever!!!!

The REALLY good pics on here are pics that MANDI took. She was the official photographer. I bet she'd be willing to do Christmas portraits for people....just sayin, cause I know you're wondering.

eh...so there's me...hmmm

And MOST importantly, my sister...the MOST BEAUTIFUL BRIDE EVER!!!

So David's kinda handsome too....loveliness!!!!

The Night Before the Wedding

Jenny and I met Sherry at Carraba's. Then we went across the parking lot to the carnival to look for a scrambler to ride. It was jolly fun!

Unfortunately, I got motion sick and put a wet blanket on the fun :(

But I got some neat pics out of it anyway :)

and they're off to Savannah

My sister is officially Mrs Owens.

I can't believe it.

I THINK I positioned myself in such a way that I was the last one to wave "bye" to them.

She was SOOO beautiful, and I miss her like she has moved to Mars or something.

Which she hasn't.

I am SO VERY HAPPY for her ( and him) and have no idea why I am getting so weepy.

Maybe I'm like my little boy, who got teary-eyed during the service....when we asked him why, afterwards, he said it was because he was so happy.

I never thought any wedding could be as wonderful as mine and Stephen's, but...........

Grandads and Paper Airplanes

Church Shower

My church threw Sherry a shower since she's the sister of a member and David is the son of a member. Haha.

Here are some lovely people, who don't know her, by the way, but came to bring her gift cards anyway...at her shower.

Here are Mom, David, Sherry, Iris and I.

Here is the cake. The reason I'm zooming in on the figurine, is because I neglected my duty to bake this cake myself. I knew I wasn't going to be able to, so the night before the shower, I tried to sculpt this thingy of Sherry and David. ( See his goatee) FYI- I obviously don't sculpt....ever. But Sherry was lovely and kept it, anyway :)

There are many more pictures, but here is my favorite. This is David with Mrs. Caines. (She attends church with us) She and David have a cute friendship.

FIVE DAYS UNTIL THE WEDDING!!!

the last room!!!

The most exciting thing that has happened in the last few days, is my wonderful sister's shower at my church...but since I'm going to have to get some pictures from my mom, THAT post will have to wait a couple of days.

Sooo.....you get to see our latest accomplishment. The girls' room was the last entire room we had to paint. We redid the gray paint AROUND hulks fist because the polyurethane streaked it badly! The NEW Verathane, we LOVE. It's nice and clear!! No streaks. Hulk's fist and the gray floor now look awesome again! So that is of course what we used on the girls' floor.

The girls were actually able to agree on what they wanted! Still can't believe THAT!! They wanted a pale pink floor with pale turquoise, giant polka dots. Here's the finished product. Now we just have to do the stairs.But our lives are finally back in order. We can now all eat at the table, sleep in our own rooms, sit on a couch, find our shoes and clothing....and lots of other wonderful things!!!

Sherry's Shower :)

We had a family shower for Sherry and David's upcoming nuptials. I LOVE all of this wedding planning and I am SO excited for Sherry (and David too ;)

Anyway here's a few pictures....

(I know, I know...I always post WAY too many pictures.)

Sherry, Me, Iris,Lucy and Mom

Sherry with my aunts: Rita and Phyllis, who hosted the shower.

The little girls...My first cousin Brenna, My other first cousin's daughter, Sadie, Lucy and Iris. Yes, you read that correctly....my cousin is the same age as my daughter.

the spread...

the cake...don't know if you can see it, but that's supposed to be a fraction of the groom on bended knee with a diamond ring in a box...hard to see, I know, but I tried, okay?!

and the BRIDE TO BE!! she's so lovely..I'm so excited!!!

Iris' Day in the Valley

One Saturday this summer, my sister, Step-mom, Iris and I ran some errands around the location of Sherry's coming up wedding. It turned out to be quite an adventure for Iris. It's rare to get to focus on a single child...I always enjoy it so much.

First we went to some shops,one of which had a former parishioner of my fathers who runs it. She had some baby ducks (FUN!!)

and she lovingly made Iris a ring out of the button of her choice :)

I just have to throw in that while at this shop, I saw the sequence of pictures that took 1st place at the county fair and it was of my Dad baptizing someone in the river.....just thought that was cool. My pictures of pictures never turn out well...but you get the PICTURE! Bahhahaha!

Then we passed a car show where we saw the GHOSTBUSTER mobile!!! Come-on fellow children of the 80's....you have to admit the awesomeness happening here!

We then proceeded to the chapel where lovely Sherry is to get married and low and behold, some people showed up on horseback. They hoisted darling Iris onto their tiniest horse and her day was made!