So, I am finally getting around to posting some wedding pictures. These aren't in order, I have no idea why, but that's ok. I'm pretty all over the place, myself. (Also, I have tried 5 times and I still can't get my text to line up with my pictures right. It's driving me crazy but I need to let it go because it's late and I need to get to bed.

Mr. Phenom dancing with Thing 2 during the dollar dance.

Mr. Phenom and I dancing our first dance(s)

We had 2 songs.

"cause I love the way you say good morning,

and you take me the way I am"

"Our lives are made in these small hours,

these little wonders,

these twists and turns of fate.."

me dancing with the Girls to "If I Had a Million Dollars".

I look at this picture and can't believe I used to change their diapers.

Well, at least one of them that I can remember.

And now look at them. Unbelievable. It was very special to dance

with them on my wedding day.

The wedding limo. "My pickup truck is her limousine"

kissing.. "Gross, Mom!"

During our family vows.. I thought I would cry, but I didn't.

It was very special to have the kids make vows with Mr. Phenom.

"Mikey, can you help me with my shirt?"
"Why, what's wrong with it?"

"I don't know. I look like a vampire."

me putting on my wedding lipstick. Um.. lip balm. More specifically,

Strawberry Lip Smackers. The only thing I ever wear on my lips.

Thing 2 getting her hair curly.

This was the night before, decorating the hall. I have no idea what this face was about.

My shoes that I am in love with.

More family vows.

Our "fireworks" favors. Married on the 4th of July. Independence Day. :)

I like this picture. My dress looks too short because Mr. Phenom is like, 15 inches taller than me, but I love this picture.

We felt very awkward dancing in front of everyone. It was not only our "First Dance", it was our FIRST DANCE.

The red, white and blue cake that my mother-in-law made. It was YUMMY. We didn't save any for our 1st anniversary though. Gross. Year-old cake. I don't think I could do it. Those who know my food paranoia will understand.

We did save the bottle of wine we got though, from Ben and Jess. It's apple/blueberry wine I believe, from the Winterport Brewery.

Mr. Phenom's sister took this picture. I was off getting pretty across the street. I love this picture. Mr. Phenom doesn't.

This picture is what will be framed and on my nightstand. I don't know why. It speaks to me.

Thing 2's happy feet.

My favorite men.

Looks like an angel, huh? Don't let her fool you.

the back of my head.

my tiny hand and his huge hand. :)

And that's IT. It has been quite the chore the last couple months going through all the pictures, deciding which ones we like, which ones we love, which ones we don't love, fixing red-eye, developing, etc. etc.

My favorite picture which I don't have on the computer is the 4 of us with our backs to the camera, looking over our shoulders at the camera, and the backs of all our tee-shirts read "Just Married".

All right, I've posted twice today. Stick a fork in me; I'm done!

Am I doing something wrong? Or am I possibly doing something very right?

Halloween is coming. Gosh, we love Halloween in this house.

Thing 1 has decided he is going to be Ozzy for Halloween. He discovered Ozzy Osbourne by seeing an impersonator of him on America's Got Talent. Ozzy cracks him up. For good reason.

Thing 2 .. well, she had me worried for a minute there. We were at the store looking at costume stuff (she wasn't divulging at that point what she was going to be for Halloween) and she saw a Hannah Montana wig. She squealed, proclaiming "That will be PERFECT!" I simply looked at her, with THAT look. You guys know the look. I said "Hannah Montana??"

She looked at me like I had just asked if skunks stink and said "No, mom.. JOANNA."

Duh. Joanna. As in "I feeeeel you, Joaaaaana". As in Sweeney Todd's Joanna.

Does that mean I get to be Mrs. Lovett? Because I have a mad girl-crush on her.

MIA

Like Rach, my appearances here in the near future may also be spotty.

I have been a crocheting MANIAC, trying to get ahead for the fall craft fair. Along with my soaps, this year's table will also include crocheted hats with cute little animal ears on them (I seriously am blistering my fingers making these things!) and baby clothes with the coolest punk rock accesories ever. (Picture pink skull patches on socks and onesies, etc. etc.) I will also have my stationary sets, my magnets, books clips, and bookmarks. I may also bring some of my infamous PTA-bake-sale always-requested pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for good measure.

It's going to be a lot of fun.

off to practice my reverse half-double crochet now. Wheee!

Wonderful.

X-Files was awesome.

Sorta sad. We went to get our tickets in the afternoon, worried that it might sell out on opening night.

We got there 45 minutes early to ensure we got good seats, again because with the thought that it might sell out.

We walked in to an empty theater. By the time the previews started, I counted 14 people, myself and Mr. Phenom included.

Wow.

If school had been in session still, it probably would have been crowded. Lots of geeks in college towns.

Everyone there was older (30's and 40's) so it was nice to be in the company of people who are old enough to have watched the show on tv.

When I heard the X-Files song (or the familiar notes of "doo doo doo doo DOO doo" rather) it was like putting on an old comfy sweatshirt. The X-Files, for me, will always be associated with a feeling of "family."

So I will end this blog with a poem I wrote in college.


Inside My Church in Dixfield, Maine

On Sundays, I wander
to this house of love, that tastes as good
as hot cocoa
with extra marshmallows.
This sacred place is filled
with silver laughter, with
the sounds of water splashing
as the littlest miracle among us,
the perfect angel we’d all been quickly waiting for,
for nine heavy months,
plays with her toys
in the bathtub.
We watch The X-files.
And this is as close to God
as I will ever
get.

I want to believe.

We're going to see the X-Files tonight!

Woooohoooo!

Well, it's finally happened.

My son is mad at me. Believe it or not, in his 9.5+ years on this Earth, he has never really been MAD at me. Well, maybe when he was 3. In a 3-year old kind of way. But in the time since he became a reasonable, logical, well-behaved intelligent kid, he has never been slam-the-door mad.

His friend, who is only a year older than him, doesn't really have a whole lot of parental involvement when it comes to movie ratings, music content, and in this case, video games.

Thing 1 got a video game system for Christmas this year, because he really wanted one, and he's a good kid. The amazing thing is, we don't even have to regulate his game-playing. He'd much rather be outside playing (even in the winter) than sitting in front of the tv. So it hasn't posed any trouble for us. Yet.

His friend has been telling him all about this game called Halo. How fun it is, how awesome it is, how Thing 1 absolutely HAS to play it.

So I researched it. It's rated "M for Mature". I don't think so. Sorry. I will admit, he does have a couple "T for Teen" games, but he has also watched several PG-13 movies, so at least I'm consistently lax. But this game? No way.

So I told him, "sorry, no." He pouted, went upstairs, slammed his door and said "This sucks!"

Which is true. It does suck. Not getting what we want sucks.

The good news is, about 3 minutes later he was back downstairs, himself again, shooting the breeze with me about something he saw in the newspaper.

Phew.

I am becoming somewhat quite obsessed

with baking bread.

It is amazing how much fun a woman can have with yeast, when it is being used for good and not evil.

It started with me thinking "How on earth can a woman who loves bread SO much go almost 31 years without baking bread herself?" The answer was "I have no idea! This must be remedied!"

So I made a loaf of bread. Your garden-variety kind (if bread grew in gardens). Flour, milk, sugar, salt, etc.

It came out PERFECT and it was deee-lish! (who just read that and started singing "groove is in the heart.."?)

After a couple loaves, that got boring. So I branched out.

Cinnamon and sugar was also a bit too ... mediocre. So, I decided to just go for it.

I got out some garlic and some Italian herbs, and I mixed everything together and baked it and .. WOW. I can't believe the bread I've been missing. And to think, I made it with my own two hands, from start to finish.

So now all I can think about is bread.. what kinds I can make, different ingredients.. I even dreamt about it last night.

I have to say, I am pretty much a domestic goddess.