There was one moment while we were playing in the front yard that Piper broke down.  Everyone was playing, including her, throwing snow balls, chasing each other, and at one point she was knocked over into the snow and after getting up she wasn’t sure what to think.  Her eyes went puffy and she started balling histerically…poor thing.  It took a few but she did eventually calm down.  She was done though and retreatd to the van.

We didn’t really have any reason to be out, let alone driving.  But Jacob and Piper wanted to spend the day with Nana Bonnie and Papa Troy…I guess I needed to take them there…and if on the way I got to see how a minivan with southern weather radials performed on snow, slush and ice….what the heck – take one for the team.    The drive was fun.  Lots of other people probably didn’t think so though.  Once we turned onto Bush road we could see the line of cars, trucks, vans, and school buses all arranged in various patterns at the bottom of the hill, spinning this way or that, unable to find the traction to climb up the hill….the trip home was going to be fun indeed !!!

Everyone got to let out some steam and play in the snow.  Jacob, Piper and Isaac ran off with Troy to make snowmen and snow balls.  Violet went adventuring.  I was watching the chaos at one point and look around from her finding no sign but footprints leading off behind Troy’s house.  I found her carving her own path looking for Rudolph in the determined way that only a two year old can.

After leaving Piper and Jacob we headed home, strategically planning an alternate route around the hill on Bush road so that we didn’t end up like the others.  At home we made our own rendition of Frosty and had some fun just being outside in the cold.  Isaac had a blast carting snow for me to use on our glorious work of art and Violet was just thrilled to be in snow in general.

Now we need to plan a trip north to play in feet of snow vs. inches.  Nothing like carving out tunnels and building igloo forts.

Related posts:

1. A snow day but with rain
2. Snow Day
3. Two Houses are different than One

No related posts.

The first part of the show was what I would call a typical elementary school music class presentation. Each of the kids in the third grade, all dressed the same, were lined up on a raised platform and sang a few songs for onlooking, camera happy parents. The second part was nothing I would have expected. We had to leave the cafeteria, the location of the first event, and head to the gym. Parents were situated around the edges while the kids populated the center, spaced nicely apart. Now I thought we were going in here for a “dance” were we might get to spend some time doing mommy-son or daddy-son dances but that certainly wasn’t the case.

The first song they danced to – and i do mean danced – was Michael Jackson’s “Thriller Night”. It was amazing fun. I would have never expected this from a third grader class. They all knew the moves and danced in unison from their assigned spots. Jacob was full of energy and fantastic to watch. He was situated at the very end of the gym somewhat in a row by himself and he took advantage of the space to show off his moves. The second dance was the “school dance”, the Berkeley Lake Bear Shuffle. I didn’t know schools had dances…and well maybe they shouldn’t…the kids had fun with it jumping in circles for a few minutes. The last one was also not expected – The Macarena – seriously. I would never have believed it had I not seen it. Forty or more kids dancing to the beat of the song and doing the moves right along with it.

Once the kids were done we got to come out and dance the Macarena with them – a couple of drinks and we could have made this a good night!

Related posts:

1. Creme Christmas Party
2. A snow day but with rain
3. Bus Stop Mania

With our wedding just around the corner, as weddings go anyway, our first and foremost task was to select invitations.  WOW – Invitations are extraordinarily expensive – and on that note we decided to make our own.  A long and tedious process but financially worth it – (keep in mind that every penny we save goes toward more alcohol for all of you ) The only thing Carol could compare it to was working on an assembly line.  I did the computer work and she did the assembly.  They are now complete and will be in the mail shortly – just in case you were anxiously checking your mailbox.

Selecting a cake maker turned out to be pretty easy.  Carol researched various places online, looking over photographs and reading reviews.  We settled on a family owned business here in Norcross, Celso’s Cakes.  They are going to make both our wedding cake and a custom grooms cake.  We had a lot of fun tasting cake.  I inhaled my slices and Carol picked at hers tasting each bite while searching for the perfect texture and flavor.  We decided that one flavor wasn’t enough – who likes plain white wedding cake….boring.  I’m not going to say what we chose but boring white wedding cake it is not.

Just like the cake, selecting a DJ was more about finding and reviewing than anything else.  After a short time searching we were introduced to a local DJ, based out of Buford, that fit perfect.  He had plenty of great reviews and came recommended by Carol’s mom Bonnie who has seen him perform many times over the past few years.

Photographers are not a dime a dozen.  There are some many types, so many techniques, so many personalities that each one is almost uniquely different than the rest – each adding (or not) their own special touch.  We aren’t interested in traditional photos where everyone stands together and says cheese.  We wanted someone that would be around for our whole wedding.  Someone that had a great personality and would treat our special day for what it is – Our Day.  We wanted someone that could use photos to tell our story, picture by picture.  We wanted a photojournalist.  Carol spent an immense amount of time going through archives of photos, reviewing websites, reading magazines, and talking to family and friends, looking for recommendations.  After weeks of this we narrowed it down to two.  We loved both of their portfolios, the phone screens went well, the personalities seemed to fit, everything was just right.  It seemed that deciding between the two would be impossible – well we didn’t have to make the decision.  It was made for us, by one of the photographers.  One of the specific things we wanted was a copy of the pictures taken during our event – not every single one but most of them – and certainly more than just a small book of proofs worth.  One photographers refusal to provide these without paying an additional $1500.00 over and above, narrowed our choice to one.  With the decision made we took the opportunity to meet in person.  Our personalities meshed quite well and we got the impression that he understood what we were looking for.  Ultimately we are very happy with our choice, Javon Longieliere.

Selecting the caterer was an interesting process.  There really isn’t much different between one or another except for menu, pricing and their level of Fru-Fru-ness.  Certainly there are things that one might do that another won’t but for the most part they are all similar.  We had received a recommendation from Pat at Bullock Springs Manor toward a local Vila Rica restaurant, Phat Phils.  We had dinner there and fell in love with the food but decided to do more research.  We narrowed our choice to one specific caterer and setup a food tasting and potentially sign a contract at the Manor.  On our way to the manor we decided to call Phat Phils and see what they could do.  Turns out Dee and Phil were more than happy, and more than capable to cater our wedding.  We sat down with Phil and worked out the details of our menu and pricing over coffee then sealed the deal with a handshake.  We felt only felt bad for a minute but it was awkward to tell the caterer we had originally planned to meet that we no longer needed their services – oh well…business is business.  Since then we have made a point to head back to Phat Phils every time we are in Vila Rica.

There is certainly plenty more to do but we are starting to put the big decisions behind us.  The next big decision coming is the florist.

Related posts:

1. Our Wedding Page

Watching on the sidelines while my friends were tortured trying on dress after dress after dress, some beautiful and flattering and some not worthy as Halloween costumes.  The comment, “it’s your day, whatever you want”, was uttered more than once along with a pleading look begging me to not chose this dress or that.  Ultimately the girls chose their own dresses so long as the material was close, length and color were the same.

While the Girls were trying on dresses, Violet and Kylie entertained their selves by covering me with post-it notes.  As a reward for being fantastic for such a long day, we let them try on the dresses that we had chosen.  Both of them refused to take them off and cried when they finally had to.  Shortly after Israel came to the rescue and whisked the little ones off to the house to play.

While waiting on my appointment to try on various wedding gowns we got to take a break for lunch.  Chili’s was the chosen place.  Margaritas and chips were the chose entrées - our reward for surviving the day so far and our medicine to endure the rest.

I never imaged trying on a wedding dress would be like stepping into a volcano.  The dresses were very heavy and would stand on their own, you would literally have to leap into them – LOL.  I had a good idea of what I was looking for in my wedding gown.  I tried on eight dresses but knew almost immediately from the start which one I would choose.  My Mom and Friends were oohhing and aahhing over several of the dresses I tried on but I had that feeling – that feeling you feel when “You Know” something – when you feel it deep down inside – that was the feeling I had and I chose the dress that gave it to me.  The only thing I am going to say about my dress is that it is a soft white, strapless bridal gown – straps coming soon.

The day turned into night and we finished it off once again at Chili’s, this time with a pitcher of Margaritas.

Thank you Girls – You are all wonderful and the dresses you chose were beautiful.  I promise to keep the more embarrassing photos off of Facebook :o) – at least for a while.

Related posts:

1. Our Wedding Page

Related posts:

1. Introduction
2. Blog Video – pebkac
3. Wedding Update

It might a few months late getting online but that makes it no less of an event.  In November, for the first and last time, Isaac turned seven.  We planned a dinner out with family and friends as well as a party at the house so we could celebrate properly with cake and presents.  We gave Isaac the choice of where he wanted to have his birthday dinner and thankfully he chose the Olive Garden – a fantastic and much yummier choice over the more usual kiddie venues such as Chucky Cheese or Monkey Joes.  We will still eventually go to one of the others but instead of being the focus of a birthday party, we can just go and have a great time playing games or jumping around.

Dinner was fantastic.  With such a large group I didn’t know what to expect but the OG had everything organized.  They even put us in a sectioned off part of the restaurant near another large family party so we could be as loud as we wanted.  After dinner we all headed back to the house to serenade the birthday boy and eat cake.

Jacob and I spent much of the day making Isaac’s cake.  Carol in the past has always done something special with the cake, so this time I wanted to give it a go.  A grande battle was the idea we were working with.  I had some old molds to help with the castles and Jacob was able to find a bunch of medieval men and siege weapons to make sure it was a battle that would not be forgotten.  The cake was fun and rewarding to make.  Plus we got to eat icing and play with toys for most of the day – not much tops that – except getting to eat more of it that night !!!

One of the great things about having a big family is that birthdays are sometimes likes Christmas.  Isaac had a great time opening gifts.  Even those that couldn’t be there in person sent cards and well wishes.  Of particular interest were the G.I. Joes, Race Track, and Legos.

Happy Birthday Isaac.  I hope the year to come is one to remember.

Related posts:

1. Weekend with Friends
2. Wedding Update
3. Boy Envy

Labor Day weekend was fantastic.  The family, all six of us, took a road trip to Indiana.  Specifically the greater Indianapolis area.  I wanted to introduce Carol, Isaac, Jacob and even Violet to my grandfather, aunts and uncles, cousins and the various kids they have all produced or acquired.  I also wanted a chance to show Carol around the areas that I grew up.  In all cases, and in contrast to the Bush definition of such, the trip was a “mission accomplished”.

The trip was indeed fantastic, regardless of how many months ago it might have been.  We were able to visit most of not all of my family, the Indianapolis Zoo, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (the Atlanta version could learn a great deal from this place), eat ice cream from Mrs. Curls, and inhale a particular northern culinary delicacy – The White Castle.

So to close this post out once and for all, here are some pictures and videos we took along the way.

Related posts:

1. Santa Matters
2. Two Houses are different than One

A part of the assignment, which I didn’t really understand originally, and was confused somewhat when he started talking about, was that he had to incorporate various terminology from his math class into the overall story.  Currently he is  learning about various shapes and the parts that make them up – such as a circle which has a radius and circumference or a rhombus and its angles.  Many of the characters in the story come from distant worlds and take on such shapes.

Even in the role of stenographer the story was fun.  Granted hearing it vs. reading might have been different, especially with the enthusiasm and speed with which he delivered it – I can type fast buddy – but certainly not as fast as you can talk – and who the heck knew Rhombus was spelled Rhombus?  Spell check couldn’t figure out what a “rumbas” was – thank you Google for the assist.

Here is Jacob’s story:

The Lonely Snowman

Once there was a very lonely snowman.  He had no one to play with.  All that he had to play with was a fake snowman that was not alive.  It was plastic!  All he had to was throw snowballs at the snowman and it was really boring.  One day a snow saucer came down to snow earth.  A he saw a snow alien coming out.  He was so excited because he thought they were friendly.  And he thought they would play with him.  Then the snow alien came out of the snow saucer and he looked mean.  And the snowman said “Oh No!!!”.  And more and more came out of the saucer.  And when they finally all came out there was a hundred million.  The snow saucer was so big it that if filled up the whole snow earth.  Then they took out their blasters and zapped all the snow men on earth.  Then a snow alien baby was born.  And then a parallelogram from another planet was born.  And then more and more and more.  Then there was a trapezoid from the trapezoid planet.  Then a rectangle from the rectangle planet.  Then a square was formed from kryptonite from a distant planet from the far off side of the universe that the snowmen could not find at all because it was on the other side of the universe.  And then circles from the circle side of the universe.  And the circle drew a line through the middle up from top to bottom and this was its diameter.  Then he drew a line around the circle and that was called the circumference.  Then they all came to snow earth.  Then there was a tiny winy square that was born but it had super power.  And then a rhombus, but it did not have super powers.  It was just ordinary.  and then the grew up until they were bigger and they were thirty years old.  When they were old enough to use blasters.  The snowman was thirty-two so he could use a blaster too.  And the quadrilateral was just born and he was very tiny tiny tiny and his mother was like four hundred years old.  And the rectangle, the parallelogram, the square, the rhombus, fought the snow aliens and they won.  But this is not the end yet.  After a few years some more snow aliens came and they were ready to fight but these ones were friendly.  And they came and there was only five or six of them and they came in a snow cruiser.  And then they all played and had fun playing board games: chess, checkers, backgammon, and any kind of game you can think of, including risk.  They played and played and played until their deaths.  And then more and more and more children came alive from all the humans in the world.  And then our whole family made most of the snowmen.  They also made snow bunnies and rabbits and ants and turtles and they added a sea of snow marine life and snow land animals.  Plus made snow dinosaurs and birds.  They all came alive and then some more space aliens came to play.  They came and played until they were the same amount as the beginning of story.  One hundred million plus one hundred million equals two hundred million.  A hundred million more aliens came and there wasn’t enough room for the snowmen.  And the children said they need to make the world builder and then they make the world ten times bigger.  Now they have enough room for the snow aliens, all the polygons from all the different planets so they call all play big boy games and baby games.  After a few years the children got bigger and bigger until almost all of them turned nine.  And they got bigger until they were grownups and they didn’t want to play with the snowmen or the polygons so they left the snow earth and went somewhere else with snowmen and polygons.

The end.

No related posts.

I had planned for weeks, little bits here and little bits there, all culminating into a grand story that I wanted to tell.  A story to convey a very special feeling about a very special person in my life.  It was a rare occasion that my family was all in the same place all at the same time.  It was likely even more rare that my family and Carol’s family were all under the same roof having dinner and celebrating.  The fact that it was Thanksgiving night and we were having dinner helped.  I decided to take advantage of such and tell my story.  I was going to ask Carol to Marry me!!!

The delivery that played out in my head for the past few weeks went something like this:

“Hey everyone can I get your attention!!!  I would like to make a toast.  It is a rare event that my family is together for the holidays and that fact that I get to share them with the woman that I love, as well as her family, fills my heart with joy.  Here’s a drink for you all” …. <everyone raises their glasses, some of them imaginary, and share in a drink …. “But wait.  I have one more thing to say.  Honey, can you come over here” …. <I had imagined that we wouldn’t likely be standing next to each other during a random toast> …. “Honey there is another part of this toast.  With all of our family here I could think of no other time more appropriate to tell them just how I feel about you.” …. <at this point taking advantage of a slight pause I pull a ring box from my pocket, drop to my knee, holding the ring out before me> …. “Will you Marry me?” …. <From here each time I pictured what might take place it was never the same – I was fairly certain the answer was going to be yes, but I don’t think you can ever be one hundred percent.  My brain was unwilling to commit to one scenario so I was going to have to wing-it from here.

Now reality often differs from what one might imagine.  Not always in good or bad ways, but usually in unpredictable, didn’t plan for that, why is this happening kind of ways.  So let me tell you how it really went down:

I wondered into the kitchen, ring box concealed nicely in my pocket, and poured myself a glass of wine.  I was more nervous that I thought I would be…after all I had been planning this event in my head for a few weeks now.  Everyone was talking in different groups and there didn’t really seem to be a good place to cut in with a toast.  I tried once but my voice failed me and the second time was weak but I got everyone’s attention.  Now all eyes were my way… I had interrupted after all.  I started to get warm and a lump of something clogged my throat…I felt my eyes starting to water – not tears, but emotion welling up and looking for an escape.  It just happened to be in the form of tears.  I don’t really remember what I said but at the end we all raised our glasses in a toast and drank – some more deeply than others.  Carol and I were standing next to each other.  I pulled the ring box out of my pocket at the same time I caught her attention by saying “Carol, I have a question for you.”  Thankfully nobody had started talking again and all eyes were pointed our way.  I knelt before her with my arm in front of me, a ring presented before me.  For a brief moment Carol looked at me, our eyes met and I smiled.  I am not sure what was going through her head but I wasn’t waiting to find out.  I finished my question, “Carol, will you Marry me?”.  Tears welled up in her eyes and she grabbed me in an embrace.  We stood there for a few minutes while our family offer some congratulatory cheers.  It wasn’t until a few minutes later that Troy asked, “So what is it?  Is that a yes?” …. we all had a few laughs at this … Carol hadn’t answered – well at least not with words, but she confirmed for those that needed them – “YES.  It’s a YES”.

Even though my delivery didn’t go as planned, it all worked out in the end.  I got the girl…Carol and I took the next big step in our relationship.  Within five minutes of proposing Grandpa asked Carol when the wedding was going to be, with not so subtle hints that the end of March (his birthday) would “be a fine time” – sheesh gramps give her a minute – she only just found out she was getting married, at some point in the future, unlikely in March, three hundred second in the past – (well at least thats the thought that went through my head).  Just after that she was asked if she knew what the colors were going to be….hehe….I had to wonder off at this point.  I was shaking and somewhere there was more wine that needed a glass to fill.

After things settled down a bit we got the chance to talk to the kids about what just happened and what they thought about it.  Jacob was happy and understood that one day down the road I would be his step dad.  We had talked about that many times in the past and the idea appealed to him even then.  Now he offered some shy smiles and grins and played coy while we gave him hugs.  Isaac, true to his spirit, wanted to know when and if he had to change his last name.  Later the next day he was anxious about this again but from a different angle.  He wanted to know that should he have to eventually change his last name to be mine, would Uno (our dog) have to change his last name to be his (Isaac’s).  Piper remained quite about the topic until I went to put her to bed.  As I was tucking her in she told me, in no uncertain terms, that she was going to dress as a princess for our wedding.  Now she brought this up, not me, but I was curious.  I told her of course she could be a princess when the day comes.  With a seriousness in her voice she proceeded to list off the things that she would need to be appropriately dressed.  Apparently a princess at a wedding needs a special crown on their head, a “beautiful dress”, and princess shoes.  Violet is still pretty young and certainly doesn’t understand the finer points of what was going on.  True to her additional X chromosome she stated only “Mommy Carol, Can i wear your princess ring?”.

We are both excited for the times to come.  Even though we are close and already think of ourselves as a Family, we still look forward to the permanence that our marriage will bring.

Related posts:

1. Two Houses are different than One