I Do NOT Like Sharing My House With a Mouse!

I'm not scared of them, they are just a nuisance.  Sort of like the fruit flies that always seem to hover around the kitchen, or the tiny ants on parade around my kitchen sink!   There have been a few "face to face" encounters like when I threw away some trash and found a mouse perched on the front corner of the trash can, or when one came popping out at the top of the couch, but mostly just hearing them scurrying or chewing in the corner.   I have tried several types of traps and poisons, but so far, the only one we've managed to kill is the one I whacked with a broom!   I hope that we will rid ourselves of the pests soon!

Brain Fog

I quite often suffer from "brain fog".   You know, when you put things in the cupboard instead of the refrigerator.  Or you walk out of the laundry room on the way to get the next load and immediately forget that you were getting a load of laundry.  When I was pregnant with my first, we were behind a car whose license plate had a "D" in the middle.  For the life of me, I could NOT remember what it stood for and I knew I should!  (It means it's a Dealer plate, by the way!). 

This topic came up on with some ladies from church, so I decided to look up some information on it.

http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/symptoms-and-solutions/forgetfulness.aspx
http://www.pregnancytoday.com/articles/signs-symptoms/forgetfulness-during-pregnancy-4843/

These two talk about how your brain actually shrinks during pregnancy:
http://www.thebabycorner.com/page/1245/
http://www.gynob.com/effects-of-pregnancy-on-memory.html

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Maybe some day I'll be able to remember what I'm doing for more than 10 seconds!
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Jonah and the Big Fish

I found these pictures and thought it was cool how it shows there ARE fish big enough to swallow a man!

Andrew Is 2 Years Old

Today is Andrew's 2nd birthday.

Here is his yearly picture to tide you over until I can post more!

If you want to see the post about him being born, it is here.

Our Wedding (13 Years Later)

Dan and I were married on August 8, 1998, 13 years ago today ☺ 

Now, the background!

We grew up going to the same church, but never knew each other.  He went to the church's school, I went to the public school.  They sat on the organ side, we sat on the piano side.  We didn't really have a youth group, so we didn't meet that way.  I do remember waiting to go in for choir one Sunday when I was 16 and they were talking about the fact that Mary Dempsey had just died and that Dan was only 18.  I remember thinking how hard it must be to lose your mom when you were that young.  Little did I know, it was my future mother-in-law!

Flash forward to April of 1997.... Dan is back from serving in the Army in Korea and his 6th grade teacher (now my co-worker - still teaching 6th grade) introduces him to me so he would know someone in the college and career Sunday School class and be more willing to come.  Okay, Hello nice to meet you.

June of 1997, I go back to Brazil to take a Teacher Training Course to possibly teach English (again) in the school there.

August 8, 1997, I return to the USA and the next 6 months are filled with me seeking God's will and direction in my life as to what He wanted me to do, where He wanted me to do it, and with whom.   During this time, I am going to Sunday School and Bible study and doing things with other members of my class.  This often times included Dan.  He started coming to the school to talk and following me home. 

Feb 13, 1998, Dan & I go on our first "real" date (as in we were the only two and he paid for my meal)

More and more, conversations started including things like, "when we get married".  Around Easter time, there was a nice small engagement ring on sale at Wards and my mom gave Dan the ad. 

April 13, 1998, during our conversation, Dan asked, "So when did you want to get married?  You had said August."  I said, "August 8, 1998 sounds good."

April 16, 1998, Dan asked if I was free on Saturday because he couldn't find the ring we were talking about.  So we went and picked out the ring and on the way, Dan asked, "You are going to marry me, right?"

So, now, you know the rest of the story ☺

And now the pictures...

Dan with the groomsmen, my brother and Dan's mom's brother

Getting last minute directions from John.
Our church did not currently have a pastor, so our friend, John Bole did the ceremony

Lighting the candles.
 Left is Brian Fikkert, our Sunday School teacher,
Right is Steve Swart, one of the foursome who most often did stuff together (which included Dan & I) and our soloist

Dean & Amy coming in

Roger & Rachel coming in

My sisters, my bridesmaids ☺

Dad & I coming in

Dan waiting for me

With this ring....

Lighting the unity candle

the kiss

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Dempsey

my mom's parents leaving the church

The first couple is my mom's sister and her husband
the second couple is Dan's dad's sister and her husband

Dan's aunt and Gib - our photographer.
Gib had graduated from the school in 1997 and was on the yearbook staff.
I gave him my camera, tons of film and $40 to take pictures of the wedding.

My family ☺
My niece, who was 19 months old, was not in the wedding, but my sister made her a matching dress

I love how Marissa is watching us

Our cake was made by a lady in the reenacting group we were in

Cutting the cake

The cake being served

Me with Tena, my mistress of ceremonies and co-worker

I LOVE this picture of my grandpa (left) and Dan's uncle, both WWII vets talking

Rachel and I with our inside joke gift ☺

The rice--
at this point, the horsehair braid on the hem of my dress got caught on the doorframe and I was stuck!

We look so young, which at 26 and 28, we weren't incredibly young, but I guess compared to 13 years later, we were young!
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Heritage Festival

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of this week was the annual MCC Heritage Festival.  My parents and the kids and I went on Thursday.  Here are some pictures of our visit.

The kids and I all ready to go

I thought this picture of my dad surveying the "graveyard" was cool

My mom became the hat lady as she was wearing the kids' hats that they didn't want to wear anymore!

Everyone (minus me) on an old firetruck

washing clothes the "old fashioned" way

Andy really liked the hand pumps

Merry go round

Another washing machine

I liked this travel trunk

Steam engine

on the train

I changed a few pictures to Sepia tone to be more in tune with the era:

And of course I had to take pictures of the spinning wheels I found!

A great or walking wheel in bad shape!

Close up of the spindle - not sharp enough to prick your finger now!

A traditional wheel, also in bad repair with a very small wheel
Andy kept pointing at the spinning wheel and saying, "Mommy"

a skein winder