Seven

Just seven days until the wedding! Well, until the ceremony. The ceremony is a small, private event and then the reception is a few days later. That's the big event. Beth and I picked up our dresses the other day! We brought our shoes and all the accessories, and tried everything on together. It kind of felt like a dress rehearsal. 

Remember the issue with my shoes for the ceremony? The navy ones? Well, I remembered we have a Skechers store not far from us so we stopped there after we got our dresses and I found the exact navy shoes on the clearance rack. Two pair. Neither one in my size. So we went next door to Ross and I found navy shoes with more rounded toes that I like even better! And, there was one pair in my size! What a relief! We got Beth a new pair of dress shoes... finally found some ties for Chuck, we had to go to three different stores. They said they just aren't getting any shipments. So now I think we're good to go in the clothing area.

I'm not sure I'll be on here anymore before we leave. I've got one more (I hope only one more) day of work before we begin the final packing.   

We are beyond excited! 

I'll leave you with a sneak peek. These are for the Reception...

Raw

Back in 2004 we took the girls to Ground Zero. The clean up was done and the rebuilding had begun. It was a very somber part of our trip that year but one we didn't want to miss.

 

When we were there earlier this year, we stopped by the memorial again. It looked very different but it was still kind of somber, a place to stop and reflect. I asked Diana if Peter's family visits the site of the 9/11 attacks and she said no. Most people who lived in the area when the attacks happened don't visit it because the pain is still raw. The sounds and smells of that day are etched into their memories and it's not something they want to re-visit.

I hadn't thought about that.

We've been watching a short series called 9/11 One Day in America. It's just personal videos of survivors and first responders as they woke up that day, stopped to get some coffee and headed into work. It started as just a typical day. Some parts are hard to watch and it's so intense that sometimes I forget to breathe, but it shows a side of that day that I'd never seen before. One man who was in the towers when they fell, and came out alive is now a curator at the 9/11 site. He said he now knows his purpose in life. Most people view the site as a memorial but to him it is a cemetery and he is meticulous about how it's maintained.

I'm glad Chuck and I are getting the opportunity in the next couple of weeks to pay our respects again.

2004

 2021

 

We will never forget.

Swept

We were driving home from the mall the other day and the sky looked amazing! Chuck said it looked like it had been swept. 

 

I caught a glimpse of this sunrise recently. They have been spectacular lately, so many beautiful colors.

It's Just Around The Corner!

Our church had a week of prayer and fasting last week and even though food is the traditional thing that most people give up, I usually fast social media. That's the thing that takes up most of my time, the thing that wastes most of my time. Since I wasn't scrolling through Facebook and Instagram I spent more time in prayer and in the Lord's presence plus spent two hours sobbing. Yep. Just good ol' let-the-tears-flow-and-release-a-little-stress sobbing. I honestly felt better when I was done. Releasing stress and giving things over to the Lord, it was a very good week.

Only 16 days 'til the wedding! Remember, this is the venue where they're having the reception ~

 

We're trying to figure out how to pack floor length gowns into a suitcase! I found a more casual dress to wear to a different event they're planning that week and bought some flats to go with it. Diana actually found them. I went into DSW to try on a different pair - I had to order the Navy ones on-line - and they're so comfortable! They're sketchers!

 

I got the email saying they had been delivered to the store and I could pick them up anytime. I'm so thankful I decided to try them on before I left the store because when I opened the box...

Not quite what I was expecting. My dress is navy blue with small white polka dots (think Julia Roberts at a polo match 😄) so these wouldn't work. They posted the wrong photo on their website. I've checked since and they no longer list any Navy ones. So my search continues. Beth and I pick up our dresses on Friday!

Fall has arrived here and the colors are stunning!

These trees will be completely red in a few short weeks!

I can't remember whose page I saw this on but I loved this! If you were born in the 60's or 70's you might remember the song!

What special events are you looking forward to this fall?

A Short Break

I will be taking a break from blogging this week and plan to be back this coming weekend.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Summer of 28

Are you on ancestry.com? Chuck and I have a couple of trees that we dabble with sometimes.

Back in 2015 I got an email from a woman who was curious about the picture of her grandma on my page. Come to find out J and I are related to 'grandma's' sons.

I'm a part of Bob's line and she is from his brother Bud's.

She emailed me the other day saying she was going to submit 2 books to historical societies back east and could she use some of my pictures.

Absolutely.

Then she writes, 'This might interest you. I recently learned your grandpa took a road trip with his cousin, Aunt, and Uncle when he was only 20. They drove cross country in 1928, some of the earliest travelers to do so. I have some of the letters his cousin wrote to her mom while on that trip and I've dedicated some of the pages in the book to the Summer of 1928 and will include the letters.'

Then I wrote:

"I have pictures of that road trip! I've always wondered who they were and what they were doing!"

She was stunned! "You leave me astounded that you have the actual photos of the 1928 trip!"

I've spent most of today scanning them all and have sent them to her. It's just amazing to me that we connected, all because of that photo of my grandma! Actually, J's grandma, my great-grandma! 

Thought I'd share some of the photos with you. They drove from Massachusetts to California. And in fact, the last photo says they are in Tijuana, Mexico!

Snippets

I'm still here. I get home from work and reserve all my energy for work the next day. It's been non-stop.

We've rearranged the stage in the gym. Replaced the orange carpet on the third floor. And we're getting a brand new phone system next week. We've had this one for 20 years! Did I tell you my boss was let go a couple months ago? We were all in shock for a few days. But those of us who worked under him knew he just wasn't doing his job. Doesn't make it any easier though.

 

Beth is learning how to use the new washer. She's doing really well! We've been grocery shopping. Got my car washed.

 

Ally and E came over the other night. They picked some blackberries and made... not sure what! in the backyard. 😂

And speaking of our backyard, I have wanted to buy a tetherball since covid started but I haven't been able to find one that comes with a base. Any suggestions?

And finally, the other night the temps dropped down into the 50s so we decided to light up the fireplace! It felt so peaceful and cozy!

Antiques, Backyard Desserts, Strange Noises

For about 10 years our church has had a men's home for those coming out of addiction. And we just recently purchased a second home for single women. Our staff had a picnic out there last week to tour the home and just hang out together. It's a stunning property, with I think about 4 acres of woods and a creek... the home is very old with so many antique features.

The doorbell ~

This is a little gazebo type structure that looks like it was created for fairies! That pink thing is a mirror...

There's a lot of remodeling to be done but I'm glad they're going to try and save as much of it as they can. This place is going to bless so many women and the families who love them.

 

I went out to our backyard last week and picked 4 cups of blackberries! They've been growing wild back there for a couple years and this year we've got a great crop! I harvested... and Chuck made the cobbler. It was so good!

 

The new washing machine is working great! I was a little nervous at first because it shows it will only use about 3 inches of water in this massive machine, how is it even going to get everything wet? There are so many new settings but once we figured out what we wanted, we tested it with a load of towels and everything came out clean, and wet! We're still getting used to the unusual sounds coming from this thing...

Spushhh!...

Spushhh!...

Gush... then silence for 20 seconds.

Clump...

Clump...

I kind of wish we'd have gotten the one with the clear lid so we could see what it's doing! "Look ma! No agitator!"

It's the one on the right. You can see just how many options there are. It's very different but so far we love it!

Do you have antiques in your home?

Do you like to do major projects around the house?

Has your family been affected by addiction?

Wait, How Long?

As I was leaving work on Thursday I asked my co-worker if she had any plans for the weekend.

"No, not really. You?"

"Our new washing machine is being delivered tomorrow but other than that, no." 

Then as I was pulling into our driveway I remembered:

Saturday's our Anniversary!!

A couple weeks ago I asked Chuck if he had any plans for "a week from Saturday." 

"No, why? What's a week from Saturday?"

That's life lately. So busy things just run together!

But... August 14. This is our 39th Anniversary. I've told a couple people it's 29 because I just can't believe it's been that long! Then I correct myself and wonder where the time has gone. 

We've had so many fun adventures, I feel stronger when he's with me, more confident, and he still makes me laugh harder than anyone else! It isn't always sunshine and roses but I'm so glad I said yes all those years ago!