not so much goin' to the chapel

more like goin' to our backyard.

That fishy face on the left,
a fishy face I love dearly,
one I am so lucky to call sister,
got murried.

That's right! She tied the knot. Strapped on the ol' ball n chain. Gave up her bachelorette days.  Sowed her last wild oats.  Settled down.  Joined the institution. 

to this guy.

what a wonderful pair. 

Their's is a modern love story, complete with a match.com meeting and a ceremony conducted by an online-ordained minister who just so happens to be our brother James (who doubled as the chef, father to a ring-bearer, a flower girl and husband to a bridesmaid).

They have known each other for five years, lived in three states together, have two dogs and are raising Lane and Kaid together.  And last Saturday, August 7th 2010, they married.  The ceremony was simple and beautiful.  The reception was delicious and fresh.  Fresh and uncomplicated, just like I hope their marriage is.  There were friends and family abound and so many people helped make this day special. 

a calm bride getting ready

Melanie, a bridesmaid & Grace, a birthday girl

Aidan and I gussying up

so

many

pictures...

so

so

SO

many

pictures!

and Andria was the picture of loveliness...

the bride

the prince

the maxwells

the smiths keeping it hot in the kitchen

some cousins

and more cousins

and more cute cousins

James & Debi

mother of the bride

father of the bride and the happy couple!

'Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone.
I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One.
I give ye my Spirit, 'til our Life shall be Done.'

waves & lines & cherry peanut butter sandwiches

Grammie and Papa put us up at Geraldine's B & B for Aidan & Lane's combo-birthday-bash after we had dinner at the Spaghetti Factory.  We were in the great city of Spokane, a city known for birthing wonderful people.  You know, like Bing Crosby, Andria Maxwell and Me.  Spumoni ice cream topped the birthday-night for my main man. 

I still can't believe he is nine!

Well, I suppose it stepping in poo, the species of origin still unknown, was the true topper of the evening on the town.

The next morning...SILVERWOOD. 

Bumper boats are fun for one and all...except if your name begins with A and ends with r-i-a and you have a strategic invisible target that beacons one and all to fire freezing water upon you. Good thing she recovers quickly.

Squirting others is nearly as much fun as being in the boats, with only half the wait. 

What do you do while 5/8ths of your party are waiting in a forever of a line for the tremors roller coaster?  Well, don spectacularly funky hats of course. 

and, if you are a really awesome cousin, you let your little cousin take you on the carousal too.

and, try to take a picture of the crazies on the coaster but fail miserably.  But, you can still capture their queasy expressions as they get off. 

Thanks to a picnic provided by Jill from the B&B we were able to save some cash and go back to the cars to eat lunch.  I have never had a PB&J that good.  Seriously. 

Then off to Boulder Beach where we didn't take a single picture because you would have to be pretty dang talented to snap anything other than your neck (or if one or two cases loose your drawers) while being pummeled by the wave pools.  This was perfect torture for someone who hates to get her face wet, but I loved it anyway.  Then there was the lazy river and a not-so-playful suggestion that we install one of those in our backyard.  Could you imagine? 

Papa has been suggesting this for years.  If there is a lesson here it is always listen to your Dad. 

What a great day!!!

Happy Birthday Aidan & Happy Birthday Lane!!!

nine, nine and feelin' fine

His feet fill out my shoes and is 4 foot 4 inches of gorgous. He likes his hair long but has relented to a compromise, a sort of reverse mullet.  Business in the back, all party in the front.  He loves trivia, challenges, legos and video games. Happily, right now he loves reading the most.  He is talented, deteremined and self-taught, qualities that can get him neck high in a sea of trouble.  He still has a deep rooted love of all animals but has no qualms about eating baby octopus (sorry honey that is just gross). When I am having a bad moment, he will try to knead the worry out of my shoulders.  There have been many days when his smootchie kisses and full body hugs are my highlights.  Nine years ago today, at 6:41 pm to be precise because this IS Aidan we are talking about here and that boy of mine loves him some precision, he made me a mother.  Happy Birthday Aidan-Love. 

he should be on america's got talent or something

except they don't have a category for super-pergola-builder-extrodinare.
or awesomest-awesomest husband ever.
clearly he would win both. 

just some beams, a couple of chainsaws, some nuts and bolts and we can't forget the injuries. 
it is beautiful!

its not that i love to exasperate you babe

its just that i love that look of exasperation on your face. 

like last night when you fell asleep half way through my HILARIOUS cat stories.  believe me, those tails were cracking me up.  look, i did it again.  you wouldn't know i was doing that for like minutes and minutes because you conked out smack dab in the middle of a good one. scratch that. a great one.  man, i am on fi-yah!

even in your sleep your mouth was pressed tight, but turned up just slightly in the corners. a sure sign that you don't want to think i am funny but you just can't help yourself.  your eyes were closed, but it was clear that you were rolling them. how does someone even roll their eyes in their sleep? you are super-uber talented. or seriously practiced.  was it at me? was it at yourself because your sleepy self thought i was a riot but whatever little bit was still in twixieland wasn't ready to budge. 

either way, i win because i get that sweet look of pure exasperation to fall asleep to. 

irresistibly goofy.

sometimes i take pictures

that have stories behind them but i can't put my thoughts to words.  maybe it is not that i can't, but that i won't.  or maybe it is just that i don't want to.

whatever the reason, i can't let the pictures just sit there in their neat little computer file.  i feel this pressing need to be timely with them.  maybe i should call it chronologicalitis.  anywhoven...

there. i feel better.