The Rehearsal Dinner

Look at these sweet faces....



With no clue that they are going to end up together like this.....

Friday, April 9th 7PM. The Rehearsal Dinner. Grecian Gardens.

So far this week was turning out to be a food extravaganza for me. I've decided to rename it the Low Country Food and Wine Festival. Except for we are not actually "low country" but it sounds like something I would love to take part in.

Grecian Gardens = GREEK FOOD. Yes, Please! Mama loves her some feta cheese, greek potatoes, and olives.

And by "mama" - I mean ME. Not my Mother.. even though I know she loves the stuff too. I like to refer to myself some times as "mama". And say things like "mama like" to get my point across. Kev always knows what it means. He is in tune with me like that.

( I'm also hoping it confuses him and results in me getting a Mother's Day gift)

( But that's not what this post is about)

So, after the luncheon we headed over to the rehearsal dinner spot to decorate. And even though my sister Shannon and my Mom thinks it took us " an hour and a half" to get there - which is not true - we got there in a timely manner. It just so happened that most of the decorating was done. And it is not our fault that they decorate SO fast.

We were able to help a little though - not to mention the entertainment that we put on to keep my Mom calm and laughing. Let's just say that I performed a couple of moves across the restaurant floor that I wouldn't want MOST people to see.

And the people that saw them probably wish that they didn't.

The room looked great. Our job was done. And we headed home to wait for the dinner to begin.

( I can't tell you enough how nice it was to have breaks in between events - I can't imagine how Dave, Laura, and friends made it through the weekend on NO sleep and constant activities.

Oh - maybe because they are much younger than me.

Anyway, they arrived at 7PM - to a paparazzi of picture taking....

The hosts...

And then the guests started to arrive....

The commoners....

And the royalty....

I kept pounding on the table and shouting "change our curfew". But the royalty didn't want to give me the time of day.

They were fun to watch, though.

I don't think I have EVER gotten to sit at the royalty table. Or the adults table for that matter. I'm usually pushed aside with the other obnoxious guests (children) and asked to "put a sock in it"

Maybe if I was given a chance to act as an adult - I would.

But probably not. I'm just being honest here.

The dinner was incredible. I love that place.

But then the show was even better.

We got to listen to FOUR amazing speeches. And I'm sure as a surprise to you - I managed to keep myself together. I had been crying and weepy all week - and once my Dad got up to speak- I thought it was all over. Kev had even prepared to rush me out the back door just like you would do with a rowdy baby in church.

But leave it to Dad to make me laugh. It was like a cry-laugh because I was full of happiness. For my incredible brother and my new sister and our families.

And then Rebecca - maid of honor- with the long luxurious brown hair and the gorgeous smile ( sorry - again no pics - you are just going to have to trust me) gave a speech and put on a slide show of Dave and Laura over the years.

IT WAS AWESOME! I just loved it! She really captured some great memories which caused me to laugh, scream ( wow - was I ever awkward) and clap. And maybe shout a couple of "Woo-Hoos" It was so much fun!

And then we called it a night! Tomorrow was the BIG day!! And I was TOO excited to sleep!

Oh - and to end on a funny note. In case you have ever questioned where my sense of humor came from. Here is proof....

Yes. My Dad has a straw sticking out of his ear while we are eating dinner. And yes he looks like he has no idea where he is - that's actually normal. And check out my Mom - she is saying " I have given up - there is nothing I can do about him"

Thanks for a GREAT night - Mom and Dad!!

Bridesmaid's Luncheon

I am always in the market for a new restaurant. Specifically one that caters to more of a "ladies" atmosphere and specializes in lunch. And incredible desserts. I had been hearing about Nonnah's for a while now - so you can only imagine my DELIGHT when I was invited to Laura's Bridesmaids Luncheon on Friday, April 9th.






First of all... it was EXTREMELY generous to be included in such a special treat considering that #1 I was not a bridesmaid and #2 DAVE HAS FIVE SISTERS. If I was throwing a party and found out that I had to invite five more people because Dave was dealt a bad hand of growing up with too many ladies.... I think I would throw the party secretly and hope that the sisters did not find out.





Second of all .... IT WAS AT NONNAH's! I could check that restaurant off my list.





Third of all.... This was the FIRST official Ladies' Luncheon that was people other than just family. Which means I had to be proper. And wear pearls. And concentrate on not spilling any thing on my clothes.





It was hard work - but it was worth it.





And I may or may not have looked the menu up online and started drooling over the selection. I like to know what there is to offer before I show up at a place. It helps with my anxiety on what to order.





The luncheon was at 11am. They had reserved a room especially for us. It is just as I had imagined.... PERFECT.





We were served mimosas upon entering. And then treated to our choice of chicken salad ( MY ALL TIME FAVORITE) or quiche. Then we received pasta salad and fruit.





Here is the bride with her bridesmaids....




Laura's Relatives including her Aunt Diane ( on left side of table with pink cardigan) who hosted this incredible experience. She is such a wonderful person!! and I really enjoyed getting to know her over the last couple of months.

My family - my Mom, sisters, and my niece Ashlynn. We had the pleasure of sitting with Laura's sweet Grandmothers. However, I'm not sure if it was a pleasure for them. We can be pretty rowdy even in delicate situations.

And then the dessert..... Raspberry Almond layered cake.....

Now I could seriously eat at Nonnah's daily and never get tired of all the incredible desserts they have to offer. I mean there are some true works of art in their dessert case - believe me because my fingerprints and breath stains were all over the front.

This was no exception. It is something that I have never tried before - raspberry and almond. But I LOVE them both separately so why wouldn't they be a good mix. The cake was decadent and scrumptious and beautiful. It made me feel like a queen to be able to eat it.

This was a tea party to trump all tea parties. And I can't wait to visit again.

And thanks so much to Diane for hosting this wonderful experience!!

The Pre-Wedding Cookout

The cookout was in honor of TWO of my favorite people.....





And was held the Thursday before the wedding.



We wanted to offer a place for all of Dave's and Laura's friends and family to get together. To hang out. To eat tons of food. To reminisce.





And we did just that.





Even the threat of rain ( the only day it rained all week) couldn't stop us from having fun. It held off long enough for us to eat... and then it miraculously washed all the pollen away.





I assumed that the cookout was a "nice" occasion. We were welcoming people in to our home after all and should look respectable.





I realized I was wrong about that when Kev showed up in his "party/vacation Kev" attire...




There is nothing like swim trunks and an IceHouse t-shirt (found in the attic after we moved in) that screams " we are respectable, well mannered, upstanding members of society and we cordially welcome you in to our home".





(Of course, the old tire and beer can in the front yard did match the theme of his clothing.)





He makes up for his fashion sense with his sense of humor and mad grilling skillz.





( Yes, I realize I spelled skillz with a "z". It means he can grill like a hip-hop rapper)





Me with the Mother of the Groom....




She brought her "Famous Baked Beans" and my Pops brought his "Famous Potato Salad"


"Mama says we all got somethin' to be famous for" (said in a Forrest Gump voice)

I guess I would say that I am now famous for Bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers. #1 Because they are one of my favorite things to eat. #2 Because I now make them for everything.

Birthday parties, christenings, dainty ladies' lunches, breakfast, get well soon gift baskets... any random occasion you can think of - I can give you a reason of why they are needed there. Every one can use a "kick" in their day.

Oh... and I tried bruschetta for the first time. I made Giada's recipe off the Food Network. I liked it. And it kept the vegetarians calm and occupied.

They are a rowdy bunch - you know.

Here is a pic of the spread.....

After it is halfway gone. We ended up with SO many leftovers - including about 25 burgers. Luckily we had guests and MYSELF to work on the food over the next couple of days.

We were thrilled that Kev's parents were able to make it. They were finally able to meet this "Laura person" that every one had been talking about. It also gave them a chance to plead their case on how much fun Bed and Breakfasts are. If you remember correctly.. last year I posted about how they were obsessed with B&Bs and would stay any where/ any time in one of these bizarre vacation spots.

Not that there is any thing wrong with them.... they are just not our thing. I envision Psycho. The movie. ( Even though I find it a little psychotic to want strangers to stay in your home for one night at a time). I would constantly be worried that I was being watched through a tiny hole in the wall.

( And now that I've creeped myself out so much that I had to turn around and look behind me - even though I'm sitting on a couch that is pushed up against the wall...... it is time to move on)

However, the reason I brought up the subject in the first place was because I happened to snap this picture of Kev with his parents. And if you look closely - Kev is counting out the reasons that he would never stay in a B&B. And once he gets his counters out. You better beware because HE MEANS BUSINESS.

Nice shoes Kev! They bring the whole outfit together.

We hung around for HOURS and just enjoyed each other's company...

That is Kelly in the green shirt - fist pumping (?) Dave. He came all the way from San Diego and is one of Dave's Marine buddies. He is officially my buddy - because I have NEVER met a person that can meet a family such as ours and fit right in. He didn't miss a beat and made us feel like we knew him forever.

And told great stories of "Old Man Switzer"

Holly and Kris drove in from D.C. and Bethany came in from Orlando. It was the day that people started arriving. And the day that the family festivities began.

Shannon and Randy......

Randy - I'm still waiting for my fish fry!

My Mom and Dad......

And the guys.....

Most of these guys worked with me at Zany Brainy. I feel like I've known them FOREVER. And I can't tell you how much fun it was to see them all again. All together in one place.

It absolutely blows me away the amount of incredible friends that Dave and Laura have. They have so much support and love and happiness surrounding them - and it was wonderful being able to be a part of it. If only for a week.

I didn't even get any pics of the girls. But no worries - I have plenty from the wedding. Remember that I was photograph challenged and am having to depend on others for pictures.

My Aunt Sandi, cousin Ross, and 2nd cousins Jackson and Elizabeth arrived around 10pm. They are from Nashville but had spent the day at Six Flags in Atlanta. I can only imagine how exhausted they were - but they hung out with us for a little while.

The cookout wrapped up around midnight. We were going to have a big weekend ahead......

Up Next... The Bridal Luncheon

Wisdom Teeth Woes

I am a worrier.



With an elaborate imagination.



Because of this - I avoid doctors and dentists at all costs.



And expect Advil to cure everything.



You would think that I would be just the opposite. A worrier that heads to the doctor immediately. But then my problems would be solved in a second. And my worries put at ease. And there would be no use for all of the drama that I like to perform surrounding an ailment.



Which is why I have been putting off getting my wisdom teeth removed for TEN years.



I didn't get them until my late twenties. They just appeared in an x-ray one day. With faces full of mischief and a faint cackle coming from under my gums. I should have known they would be trouble.



But I shrugged them off. Told the dentist that there was no reason for me to have them removed. They weren't bothering me. And that was the end of that.



And then just to make my mind up even more - I began to hear horror stories about wisdom teeth removal.



"My cousin's best friend's sister had them removed and her eye ball popped out from all the pain"



OR



"My uncle's neighbor's best friend's goat went in for a simple wisdom teeth removal and came out with NO teeth and a letter pinned to it's chest that said " Sorry, we got confused"



I just wasn't going to do it. I'm tough. I can live with the pain. They weren't bothering any one.



But then they started to grow in. And even though Kev could deal with the drooling and the temper tantrums and the slight fevers - he had to draw the line when I couldn't stop chewing on stuff and ended up ruining the corners of his entertainment center.



He begged me to get them out. And I would roll my eyes and declare (to myself) that I would never again tell him the pain I was in. I would act like every thing was fine and he would forget about it.



NOT. Because my dentist felt the need to continue to give Kev lectures on how my wisdom teeth HAD To come out or things would get worse.



"If she waits any later in life... all her hair will fall out when the teeth get pulled"



"At her age - she will walk with a permanent limp from the trauma of pulling her teeth"



"You should just go ahead and put her in a home. She is too old for her teeth to be pulled AND she is starting to smell"



Our dentist is not afraid to speak his mind. Which made me even more afraid. Not to mention that he was a little creepy. I asked that Kev be able to sit beside me while it was being done so he could prevent any funny business.



The dentist said "no" because "funny business" was his middle name. And then he winked at me.



Three days before my scheduled procedure. The dentist retired. Randomly - with no explanation. I'd like to think my "weirdo" senses were right. But I didn't put too much thought in to it because I was off the hook again.



This time I wasn't going to ever mention it again. In hopes that Kev would definitely forget. He is getting older - you know. And his mind isn't going to hold up forever.





But then everything fell apart in March. I was in SO much pain. My mouth was swollen. My jaw only opened half way. I couldn't sleep. And I reached my breaking point. I decided I would do whatever it took to get these horrible teeth out of my head. I finally understood what Tom Hanks was going through in Castaway - when he knocked his own tooth out. I was ready to do the same.



And then - as I do in every situation- I thought about Laura Ingalls. What did she do to get rid of wisdom teeth? She was so brave and fearless. And survived without ADVIL. She is my hero.... who I could never live up to. It is just fun to think about.



I made an emergency dentist appointment - she referred me to an oral surgeon. It seems that one tooth was completely grown in. Perfect. Just hanging out having a good time. And then there was Tom. Evil Tom Tooth. Who was stuck halfway in /halfway out. And caught up under the bone. He was going to be troublesome. And may cause 6 months of numbness due to the fact that he was entangled in a nerve.



FANTASTIC!!



I was ready to show Tom who was boss.



And the boss was Kev. Cause I'm a wienie.



It was finally scheduled. I took four days off of work. I had my list of do's and don'ts.



And then I ate my last meal. Of spaghetti. Then the clock struck midnight which meant I wasn't allowed to eat or drink again until after the procedure.



Do you even realize what a punishment that is for a food lover like myself. Every thing that I looked at seemed to be in the shape of food. My couch was a bowl of chocolate pudding. My shampoo bottle was a squirt can of cool whip. Kev's head was a ham. A talking ham.



Oh. And my special mud tea. Forgetaboutit. No caffeine for me. My urine hasn't been that clear in years.



Did I really just write that?



Anyway, unlike other medical events in my life. I was so cool, calm, and collected. I was just ready for it to be over. I didn't care the outcome. I just wanted to be pain free.



The nurse came for me right on time.





I was hooked up to a machine with electrodes to monitor my heart rate. They had told me to wear short sleeves - but had said nothing about having to put them on my legs - so when she started pulling up my jeans - I froze at the thought that I hadn't shaved. But quickly remembered that new year's resolution #14 was to shave every day in case of the unexpected.



And then she put me on laughing gas.



Laughing gas! What a treat! It was very relaxing and euphoric and awesome. And I made Kev swear to buy me a machine that makes it - IF it comes in to the pawn shop.



And as I was sitting in the tiny room all by myself.... Thinking about Laura Ingalls and how she definitely missed out on the whole laughing gas experience.... "Like a Virgin" by Madonna came on the radio. Um. Only one of my favorite songs. A song that I actually performed in a recording studio. At Opryland in Nashville, TN. I still have the tape. And since I've hidden it forever - you will have to just trust me that I was awesome. And sounded just like her.

And so..... I took that song from Madonna as a sign that every thing would be all right.

Then the doctor came in...


At least that is how I remember him. And the next thing I knew... the nurse asked me if I wanted to take home my teeth.

It was over so fast. With no recollection or pain. And my only pain now is that I feel like I have a bruised jaw. Which may or may not have happened after the surgery - as a payback from Kev for snoring too loudly.

And just because I know you always want plenty of pictures no matter how disgusting. Here are my teeth.....



The EVIL TOM TOOTH is on the left. See how he was curved on the bottom. That is where it was caught under the bone. The Sweet and Innocent Sally Sue is on the right. I think I will make her in to a necklace. And pretend it is an ancient artifact. Or I could tie her on the end of a spear and make her a weapon. ( It is no secret that I have LARGE teeth that can be used for things other than chewing)

And now to make this story even longer than it already is.....

While I was sleeping the day away... Our next door neighbor stopped by. Now let me explain that where I live - next door neighbors don't stop by unless they are challenging you to a duel. Which is why Kev ran off to grab his choice of weapon before he answered the door.





She was persistent, though. And came around to the back looking for him. With these.....

She had brought me some flowers to plant. ( Clearly she has no idea that Kev is the mastermind behind our yard - and I merely lay out and eat cubes of cheese) The flowers are a little wilted in this picture because it was taken the next day. But I have no doubt that Kev will have them back to life in no time.

So, after us living there for over two years - a neighbor stops by with flowers. Doesn't introduce herself. And tells Kev that I am welcome to dig up flowers in her yard any time and plant them in mine.

A random act of kindness in Gaston. Someone should add that to the town's "reasons to live in Gaston brochure". It has been blank ever since the welcome center ( boiled peanut stand on the side of the road) opened up in 2006.

And as for my suddenly sweet neighbor.... I think I will have to forgive her for housing that horrible wretch she calls a rooster. The rooster with the broken clock.

It is officially two days after my surgery. And other than feeling super tired ( probably due to pain meds)... I'm feeling great. And wish I had done this a long time ago.

And don't worry... I will get back to my recap of the wedding festivities as soon as possible... Believe me. There is still so much to tell.

Too Many Chores

Pretend it is Monday, April 5th. Because in my mind it is. And it was the beginning to one of the BEST weeks EVER.

Monday was crucial to the success of the week.

I sprung out of bed with a spring in my step.... make that a limp due to retail feet. And actually, I did not "sprung out of bed" because - as every one knows- I move quite slowly and rudely until I get a vat of my morning mud tea.

But I was super excited none the less. After I drank my tea.

I had lists, folks. Lists upon lists upon lists. I had lists for what needed to be accomplished each day. And by what time. I had to-do lists. And grocery lists. Lists for what clothes I was going to wear for each event. Lists for what meals would be prepared. Basically, I had a list for every single thing I did that week - except for when I could go to the bathroom.

( I had to go back and add bathroom breaks to my daily lists after I learned my lesson in a local grocery store. It seems the "clean up on aisle 7" was not in their job description and therefore I was banned for life)

I work well off of lists. It is something about crossing things off that makes me feel incredibly productive. Even if my list is simply: Eat, nap, eat, watch tv, nap.

I'm starting to think I was a cat in a past life.

Anyway, the point is that I had a plan for the next couple of days. Until Kev "pretty please" requested some help with yard work. And I had to reschedule about 5 hours of to-doing. He wanted me to pull a couple of weeds in his rock beds. AND pick up pine cones in the front yard.

It makes me sweat just thinking about it. Not to mention that the entire outside world was covered in a blanket of pollen. And it was hot.

For some (most) people, they could have accomplished this simple request in 30 minutes. But I am not some (most) people. I had to find special gloves. I had to take 11 water breaks. I had to stop and wave at all of the cowboys that honked at me when they drove by. ( Ok - so maybe they weren't cowboys - but this is my dream world that I live in... so, let me believe it). And I had to call Kev after every completed chore and tell him what a good and helpful girl I was.

I need constant attention. It is a burden to those around me.

And just for good measure ( and hopes of a thank-you gift)... I cleaned the pool. Half way. Because I can't seem to remember how to use the vacuum. Even though Kev has shown me 77 times. His voice is like a soothing 80's ballad. So unfortunately for him, when he talks for long periods of time - like how to use the pool vacuum - I tend to reminisce of the old days. When Bret Michaels rocked my world. And I start humming "Every Rose Has It's Thorn".

It is a proven medical condition. 80's music coma. I only tell the truth on this blog - so you have to believe me.

And here is proof that I actually worked outside in the yard - just in case it looked like I hadn't really done anything.....



Notice the bottom of my jeans ( yes, I wore extra long, hot jeans to work outside) are covered in pollen. COVERED. And my Rainbow flip flops.... well, they have never been seen again. They are not allowed back in the house for various reasons.

Maybe my "gardening" outfit was the reason I was being honked at. And not the fact that I had on a t-shirt that said "Honk if you think I look ridiculous".

After "gardening", I went to the grocery store. And had an absolute melt down when I was innocently perusing the ice cream freezer section and came across this:


"Holy Caramel Yumminess!" Is what I yelled out. This is only my FAVORITE coffee at Starbucks. And caramel is only my FAVORITE flavor. And ice cream is only my FAVORITE soft food. And let me tell you something..... it was INCREDIBLE!! I planned to savor it throughout the week. It lasted 30 minutes. I even let some dry on my upper lip so I could smell it's sweetness for the rest of the day.

Thank you Starbucks!!

Luckily I purchased it BEFORE my "clean up on aisle 7" incident. Which shall never be spoken of again.

Caramel Macchiato ice cream has officially made it to the "things I want to eat and do for my fortieth birthday". ( It is a weird, random list - trust me. You may not want to be around when it happens)

And for supper that night ( I love saying supper instead of dinner. It makes me feel like a sweet innocent Southern girl).... well, we had The Pioneer Woman's Rib Eye Steak with whiskey cream sauce, twice baked potatoes, and Rosemary/ sea salt rolls. AND CAN I JUST TELL YOU... that it was OUT OF THIS WORLD - LIKE TOTALLY. My eyes rolled back in the back of my head for like 2 hours.

Which thankfully got me out of cleaning the kitchen... it was a disaster.

You can go to http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/ for all of the recipes. If you haven't been there yet - then I am so sorry for your eating experiences. Because she has changed us forever.

And on a side note - this was my first time EVER to get yeast bread to rise!! The rolls are basically from scratch and I can't tell you how many times (53) I have gone to lift the towel off of the supposedly risen bread to see a tiny lump of crust in the bottom of the pan. For some reason it worked this time. It could have been the begging. Or maybe it was the threats. You know... like threatening the dough that it will be put down a garbage disposal to an untimely death. Have you never done that? Well, it works. Obviously.

And just to let you know how supportive Kev is of my cooking.... well, the minute he got home from work, I lifted the towel to show him what risen rolls should look like. And he squealed with delight. ( He wants me to tell you that it wasn't a girl squeal - but a very manly squeal. It involved big muscles. And The Ultimate Fighting Championship was playing on tv in the background) I finally conquered his last requirement to being a great wife. Getting my bread to rise.

And due to the delightfulness that was our SUPPER. I have NO pictures. You are just gonna have to trust me. Or check out the website. Or wait for me to make it again.

Because I will.

Up Next.... The Cookout

Easter Sunday

Yes. Easter was 20 days ago. I've been so busy lately - with work, work, and work. Oh and then there is that little thing that I participated in called "The Wedding of the CENTURY". So, as of April 24th, I am somewhat caught up, recuperated and organized again... and will be catching you up on the festivities this week.

And yes, that is a threat.

Easter was my first day of vacation. I needed an entire week to prepare for the upcoming wedding on the 10th. I needed to whiten my teeth, have my grays covered, get 20 layers of old skin scrubbed off my face, shave, and make 50 bacon wrapped jalapeno bites.

It is hard work maintaining my appearance. And my waistline.

Which is why I don't do it very often.

So, Easter started out with church. And then we were all invited over to the Settles' homestead for a DELICIOUS Easter lunch.

And now... let me introduce you to one of my new favorite people...



Randy. My sister Shannon is his lady friend. And we are thrilled to have him as part of our family! Not only is he kind, hilarious, generous, and talented.... he can cook meat like no other. Any one who knows their way around a grill is immediately my new best friend. If he invites me to a fish fry - he will be my friend for life.

Oh... and he also makes my sister SO happy. But that is not as high on my list of "reasons I like a guy" as roasted melt-in-your-mouth beef tenderloin.

I've got priorities. Don't judge me.

Here is my sis and her sweet family.....

This was my first time seeing Shannon's new home. It is perfect. Lots of land. Lots of seclusion. Lots of love.

And so I planned on taking LOTS of pictures. As I always PLAN on doing. And then I seem to get so wrapped up in the food, telling jokes, eating, catching up with family, and going back for seconds... that I never seem to capture anything but bizarre random shots that won't mean a thing to me when I get "old-timers".

(Old timers is when you pretend you don't remember much so you don't have to talk to people, eat lots of soft foods, and have your niece wait on you hand and foot)

(Actually - that sounds pretty good some days - especially if the "soft food" is vanilla ice cream with peanut butter on top)

( Oh - and don't worry about who is going to take care of my sister when she gets "old-timers" because she was generous enough to have MANY children so those of us that are child-free can be taken care of as well- there is plenty to go around)

The point that I'm trying to make here is that: My Mom saved the day when it comes to pictures. She captured a lot of great moments during the week that I was too preoccupied with myself to take.

Like this one....



(Actually I took that one - on my Mom's camera)

And this one.....

We look like an Easter bunch if I do say so myself. I finally got Kev in a pink shirt. And then there is an obnoxiously HUGE accessory that I had to put on - to ensure I would be noticed.

My earrings.

Oh - you thought I was talking about the giant orange flower. I do not consider that an accessory - but a weapon. It squirts poison on my enemies. And it will be seen again before the week is through.

And now for MY pictures. The ones that highlighted the important moments....

A random shot of people talking on the porch. It seems Laura was trained well. To always be in a dainty lady-like pose in the chance that a picture would be taken. And Kev - well he is either about to drop in the splits or is sleeping like a horse.

But I had to move closer. To figure out what was going on....

I still think Kev might be sleeping. ?? Apparently, Easter Sunday is hard work.

I did manage to get some cute shots of the boys - with their new guinea pig, Bailey.

And a toothless grin from Mason....

But then I went back to randomness. The last picture I took of the day was this....

People dishing up their plates.

It is a hard life keeping up with a blog. Taking relevant pictures. Thinking of stories. Eating snacks to keep my energy up while typing.

It's a tough job - but some one has to do it.

( It also gives me an excuse to not clean or shower on my days off - "I'm too busy blogging". Kev accepts that better than " I got stuck to the couch and decided to catch up on my shows")

(It this post cohesive? - because it seems a little random to me. )

( If I put any more statements in parenthesis - some one might need to call the punctuation police)

( I'm not sure if there is such a thing as the punctuation police... but your middle school English teacher should do just fine)

Anyway... Easter was wonderful. Incredible weather. Wonderful people. Delicious food.

And I made a jalapeno/pepper jack mac n cheese as my contribution. It was YUM-MY!! I will definitely make it again. It seems hot peppers have become my signature dish. Which is fine by me. I would marry a hot pepper if I could.

But I can't because then I would be arrested for being a bigamist. And I would have to move to Utah.

I hope you enjoyed this "Ride of Randomness". Now please exit to your right. Calmly. And enjoy the rest of your day.

Our Adventures Of Life

*** This is a post that I wrote a while back.... that I never got around to posting. I am still working on Easter/ wedding stuff/ parties.... and should have all of that up soon. *****

We just watched the BEST movie.


A movie that I have been wanting so badly to see.



UP.

WOW! What a great one. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Even though there were several times where my heart was so full that it almost broke. Oh... and there was also the free flowing of tears.





I felt like I was watching my life. There were SO many similarities.



A loving couple. Just the two of them....





Creating a life around their home.



Filled with so much love, and happiness, and imagination.



And one of my most favorite similiarities was the two chairs....




Just like I wrote about in a previous post. Except for our chairs are black leather recliners.



We sit in them together EVERY night. And talk about our day. Watch tv together. Read. Enjoy each other's company. It is such a big part of our lives. And definitely a simple pleasure.

This movie really touched me. And reminded me of what I already knew...



That your connection with others is what makes your life meaningful.



My life with Kev is my greatest adventure. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Hello! My Name Is Kim And I'm Addicted To Cable

There. I said it. It is out in the open now.

An addiction that only came to light eight days ago when my cable went out.

EIGHT DAYS AGO.

And just so you realize what all we have not had for EIGHT days - please let me explain.

1. DVR
2. Phone
3. TV - other than the basic channels with a fuzzy, snowy-like screen.
4. INTERNET

And all of this happens when I am having one of my best life experiences - the wedding of the century - Dave and Laura.

It's all better now, though. We finally got every thing fixed this morning. It seems that the problem was something about a cable... yadda yadda yadda... blah blah blah. The cable guy may or may not have had to wake me up after he finished talking to me.

Regardless, Time Warner has graciously offered to compensate us for our trouble. Especially after I broke their automated answering service by YELLING my "reason for calling" and my phone number in to the phone after having to call 87 times. The answering computer just kept saying " I think you are saying that you need to speak to someone".

He is pretty smart. That computer.

I can't tell you enough how hard it is for a person (me) to have so many stories to tell just stuck in their head. I mean.. I've tried everything to relieve the pressure on my brain. I've whispered in to a paper bag. I've sat outside at our bird feeder and showed the birds pictures from the wedding. I've written stories on the shower walls with my bathtub crayons.

Nothing has worked.

But now - my computer is FINALLY up and running again. And I've chosen to waste your time about how I haven't been able to write - instead of telling you about last week.

Sometimes I feel the need to explain myself. It makes me feel less crazy.

But until I get my bizarre ( I may have to "steal" some pics from other people) photos downloaded. And my outline/action plan together on what stories I'm going to tell.... Please know that I had the MOST AMAZING TIME in the world.

Like totally awesome! And everything I dreamed it would be.

And I couldn't be happier for my baby brother and my new sister. Not to mention the MANY incredible NEW people that I have become friends with ( I promise I haven't paid anyone) and the MANY old friends that I was able to catch up with. And the MANY family members that I was so happy to see - even though our time together seemed to last for mere seconds.

It was a whirlwind of a week. And was over in a matter of seconds. But left me with a smile as big as the Cheshire Cat.

And a heart as full as the belly of a competitive hot dog eater.

And on that note.... I've got to go make some hot dogs for dinner. And we may or may not be competitively eating tonight. Except for I just remembered that our cable is back on... and we've got a TON of catching up to do.

Coming Soon: my vacation. the cookout. and THE WEDDING.