Our two “flowers” who continue to rock my world (for better or for worse) every single day - and my new favorite photo of them.

Stop over to Tracey’s to see some other rockin’ photos today.

No, you haven’t missed anything - as in a “Part 1.” But I have just finished the photos for Bill and Debby before they left for home today, so I figured I’d write up about the wedding excitement (part 2 of our week) first, since I have the photos done already. (I posted all the photos up in our Flickr account, but you need to be a friend/family to see them - so if you are not able to see them, let me know and I’ll add you! The photos were a little hard since we shot most of them in the shade, and at 1:00pm, bright sunlight on the beach. Shesh…but there are some good ones, I think.)

So, on to the wedding…

Debby and Bill have been engaged for a few years, but they have been “together” for many years. In fact, they have been a couple since before J. and I got married, so quite a long time. We all knew they’d get married eventually, and they finally decided to “get around to it” while they were out here.

We were shooting for a simple, sweet, barefoot on the beach sort of affair - and I think we pulled it off. We found an officiant who recommended Point Dume State Park in Malibu, and was available for a mid-week, middle of the afternoon ceremony.

So we all headed to the only slice of shade on the beach, next to a big cliff (that you may recognize from several movies and commercials, Planet of the Apes perhaps?).

Nena helping her flower girl across the hot sand. Actually, the girls didn’t seem to mind the hot sand at all, it was the grown-ups that were complaining the most.

We ended up getting the girls’ dresses downtown near Santee Alley. When Nena asked them if they would be her flower girls, I thought Emma would explode, she was so excited. She wanted to wear her Belle princess dress, and the one we found her was actually pretty close. She is in love with it. I’m surprised we haven’t tried to wear it again today, in fact.

We shopped for the dresses and flowers in a two-hour window we had between dropping Addie off at school and when we needed to pick Em up after school on Tuesday. The flowers we found downtown at the Flower Mart. Lots and lots of roses - we just put the bouquets together on Wednesday morning before the ceremony. (I think you may be seeing more of the flowers, like say…maybe on Tuesday? It is the only thing Crafty I have done in weeks!)

My friend Michelle donated her craft to the ceremony and not only played amazing music for us while we were walking over, but also adapted (transcribed?  Is that the correct musical term?) Pachabel’s Canon in D (a piece usually for string quartets) and played it at the beginning of the ceremony. It was incredible. The cliff gave the beach some pretty amazing acoustics and the cello music on the beach really was the perfect touch.

We gathered around Debby and Bill and witnessed the sweet (not too long, not too short) ceremony.

Emma took her role very seriously and tried to school Addie on the proper way to be a flower girl. (Where she learned this, I have no idea!)

She did a great job with Emma’s guidance and made us very proud.

Although there was definitely some monkeying around, Bill and Debby didn’t see any of it until we watched the video, so while it was funny and we captured it, it didn’t disrupt the wedding. A little light-saber action going on here, I think.

Then it was official! They are married!

And it was time for some fun. A little dancing…

Some toasting…

Much kissing….

And playing in the water…

Or hiding from the waves…

Nena taking the plunge (for the second time that day!)…

She was a beautiful bride and I think had a good wedding day.

She wanted sandy toes, and she got ‘em…

After the beach we headed to Ruth’s Chris steakhouse and had an incredible dinner with some wedding cake and called it a day.

It was a pretty incredible day for us, and I hope it was for you (Debby and Bill), too. Thanks so much for letting us be a part of it, guys. We wish you much happiness and love for the rest of your days.

———————

(Stay tuned for Part 1 of our Exciting Week, which was also made possible by Debby and Bill! Gotta go get those pics downloaded now.)

Hi.

Still there?

Thanks to all who called and emailed to make sure that we are still alive and kickin’ over here. We definitely are - but just had to take a little hiatus for a few days to get everything under control. We’re close, soooo close.

So to get everyone up to speed, this soccer mom thing is kicking my butt. Apparently I cannot say “no” to anything, and apparently anyone who is the head of a committee has figured out that I cannot say “no,” therefore…I have been “volunteered” for just about everything. And between two different schools, ballet, soccer our calendar is always in flux and always crammed. And I’m tired.

Also our sitter had to leave the country to get her visa renewed, and did not return as of yet. So I have been interviewing sitters. Not a very fun job, but I think we have found a really good girl, and she starts next week. Just in time since I have several projects in motion and two more on the way.

Let’s see. Debby and Bill have been here since Friday, I think they are having a good time - I know the girls are loving having them here. They allowed Jamie and I to get away for a night last weekend so we headed to SF.

While we were there we did a potentially incredibly irresponsible thing as parents - we went on a Great White shark dive. I’m downloading the pics right now, and will fill you all in on the details perhaps tomorrow. (You’ve waited this long, surely you can wait one more day?)

Oh, yeah…and also?

Debby and Bill decided to tie the knot while out here in California. So we threw a wedding together and they got married, barefoot on a beach in Malibu this afternoon! It was pretty exciting - and more on that later, too!

Right now, I’m heading upstairs - very tired. I can’t really type or talk in complete sentences, so I’ll leave you with a photo of the girls and Nena frolicking in the surf after the ceremony today to tide you over. I promise I won’t let this photo be the only thing up to look at for a week.

Congrats Bill & Debby! We love you and wish you a very long, happy life together!

Not even going to pretend we have it barely controlled. We are officially beyond chaos now.

We’ll be back to play another day.

I have to postpone CT this week and next. I just don’t have time to craft anything or post it in the next few weeks. (My mother-in-law will be here this weekend and next, so I don’t forsee any time to craft then either!)

But I know that Stacy has some goodies today, so go check ‘em out. And as always, if you have something to share, let us know!

Our very own superhero…

Em was awarded the “Super Cougar” award for the month of September. Super Cougars are good leaders in the classroom, exemplify good citizenship, are helpful to their teachers and classmates, and complete their work correctly and on time. (And have never had to sit in the “thinking chair” - which unlike the thinking chair from Blues Clues - is not a chair you want to be sent to!)

So pretty much, my girl is a “brown-noser.” I am so very proud of her. (I’m sure I’ve been called that a time or two in my life, as well.)

Well done, Ems. I’d say that is pretty good work, three weeks into school already kickin’ butt and takin’ names.

Stop by Tracey’s for more super shots.

We have had a touch of the sassy molassys around the house lately. Mostly from one little three-year old girl who shall remain nameless.

She got sent to the steps for yelling “I don’t want that for dinner! I don’t LIKE red peppers!” (at the top of her lungs!) earlier this week.

When I went in to release her from timeout, we had this little conversation -

A: Mama! Mama! I DO like red peppers! Can I get off the step now?
M: I did not put you on the steps because you don’t like red peppers! I put you on the step for talking to Mama like that.
A: Oh. Ok. Can I get off the step now?
M: What do you say to me?
A: I love you, Mama? (Oooh, the girl is good.)
M: Noooo, you need to look at me in the eyes and apologize.
A: (Silence. Chirp, chirp. But a few tears welling up in the corners of her eyes)
M: You say, ‘I’m sorry for talking to you like that Mama.‘
A: I’m sorry for talking like that to you Mama.
M: I do not ever want to hear you talk to me like that again, got it?
A: (In all seriousness) I do not ever want to hear you talk to me like that again, got it?

Emma is cracking up in the living room, and yes, it was hard to maintain a “mad” look after that little stunt.

Cheeky monkey.

I laughed out loud when I saw that this week’s Theme Thursday was idleness. Dear, sweet Stacy - so optimistically suggested that we find some idleness to shoot this week.

It is so not happening around our place this week, much to my chagrin. Poor J., when he walks through the door each evening - he doesn’t know whether he is going to get a completely wasted, staring off into space, brain-dead wife, or one in tears. It has not been one of my finer weeks, for sure.

So I went to the archives. These photos were from the week of Ad’s birthday. I caught her in a moment of idleness, just off in her own little world.

Her new puppy, bear, blankie, favorite sundress, and a fresh Ariel tattoo. Just lying in the sun. So gorgeous.

This week has been a little “Addie-heavy,” I know. Perhaps I am subconsciously trying to make up for the “car door to the middle of her poor forehead” incident. But that is a story for another day when I have a little more energy to deal with it, and maybe a touch more of that elusive idleness.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, PUMPKIN SCONES ARE BACK?!

Of, course I need to try out the goods.

Mmmm…satisfied customer. We sure do love it when the pumpkin treats return.

Stop over for more (really!) Wordless Wednesday.

Prepare for the whining and excuses to begin. Starting….

Now.

I can’t believe I am going to even post this photo and call it my Crafty thing for the week. And not only do I deem it “not very crafty,” it is a horrible photo as well. But it is all I have time or energy for right now. So you get what you get.

While we were at Em’s soccer game on Saturday, the other team had really cute little matching ponytail holder thingys, made with ribbons of their team colors and also some cool ribbons with little soccer balls on it. When we were shaking hands with them, I slyly checked out how they were put together (it wasn’t too hard to be sneaky, most of them were 3 1/2 feet tall, so I just looked like I was leering at the top of their heads, that is not too creepy, right?).

So Em and I went to the fabric store and got pink, black, white ribbon - but they were out of the soccer ball ribbon. Apparently there are some die-hard, crafty, soccer moms out there who thought about all of this BEFORE the season started. So I’m still searching for soccer ribbon, but Em and I attempted to make a trial one tonight.

Really should have had Em model it for the photos because it really does look cute when it is on. Only need to make 5 more before Saturday.

While we were at the fabric store the girls picked out their Halloween costumes, too. Well, the patterns for them, hopefully, God willing, we will be able to feature an Alice in Wonderland and an Ariel costume here on Crafty Tuesday some time in the next month!

I’m afraid the material around these parts is going to be very, very light again this week. I’ll try to throw up a few photos to tie you all over. It isn’t for lack of blog material, oh there is PLENTY of that around here, but I have a few big projects going on, a babysitter who is out of the country (yes, she is home trying to get a visa to get back here!), and some other big stuff going on that I just can’t get into right now. But I will be back, don’t give up on me just yet!

Maybe someone else has some true craftiness to share with all of us today?