Going to the Chapel

Last weekend family and friends gathered in Piegon Forge, TN to celebrate the wedding of my sister, Josette and my new brother-in-law, Robbie. We stayed in a beautiful log cabin over looking the Great Smokey Mountains. It was absolutely breathe-taking. Waiting on top of our luxurious beds was a lovely gift of toiletries, along with a picture framed photo, a bag of goodies for the kids and a sweet thank you card. I should have been the one thanking them because the cabin was so beautiful! Each floor had a wrap around porch, a hot tub, and endless ammenities . We stayed on the third floor which was all about fun and games with a pool table, air hockey, foosball, and a tv perfect for some Guitar Hero action.

The fun didn't end there! We even had a theater room to enjoy and an elevator to take us back and forth! The place was pretty amazing! I now know why they call it, It Has It All. It truly did have it all. As I was making my rounds checking the place out, I stumbled upon something totally unexpected and very scary - A BLACK BEAR! I was on the ground level enjoying the view when I saw something moving underneath the deck of the neighboring house.

I literally did a double take. I thought to myself, "Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?!!!" YES I WAS!!! I couldn't believe my eyes! It started getting a little closer and closer. Knowing that the deck I was standing on was just a few steps away from a possible bear invasion, I RAN as fast as I could to higher ground, screaming and hollering "A BEAR! A BEAR!". No one believed me until they took a look for themselves. By that time it was fading away into the wilderness. If ever I wished I had a camera, it would have been that exact moment I encountered a bear and lived to tell about it. Just think what could have happened if that bear would have taken a detour towards our cabin. It's certainly a memory I will always remember. Luckily for everyone, the men decided to go on a charcoal run at the time and were not in the middle of grilling when the bear came along. It surely would have come straight towards them. Fortunately, the bear never returned and the men were able to fire up the grill without any WILD interruptions. It was smooth sailing the rest of the evening. We ate. We played. And we relaxed, or at least I tried to relax, in the hot tub. My sister Annette convinced me that it would be totally safe to let our little guys try it out. Honestly, I was so worried and tensed about Mason being in there that I did more stressing than relaxing. But, just like she said, he survived. Morning came and we had a BIG day ahead of us. We were finally going to the chapel. First, we had to make lots of preparations. Of course, I brought along the cake for the great occasion. Thankfully, it made the 3 hr. trip safe and sound. All that was left to do was to stack the tiers and put some final finishing touches and VIOLA, a little bit of batter and icing turned into a wedding cake.

I was so honored that they included me in such a special part of the preparations. Then, as things got marked off the list, we all headed to our rooms and g0t all guzzied up, the women in little black dresses and the men in suits and ties.

But no one looked as beautiful nor more handsome than the bride and groom. They were a site for sore eyes. Off to the chapel we went.

It was a beautiful ceremony followed by a reception at the cabin.

The caterers set out a feast for our eyes.

I know things didn't turn out exactly how my sister had hoped for because of complications, but I hope it gives her comfort to know that as the years go by, those complications seem to fade away and what you will always remember is that moment when the two of you say "I Do".

Congratulations
Josette & Robbie!

Always remember to hold on to the love and respect you share today and you will truly live happily ever after.

Love you both!

A SUPER-SIZED Library Visit

Look who came
STROLLING
into the library.

The McMan himself.
Of course, the kids got a BIG kick out of it!

They crowded around him and listened with their mouths wide open as he told stories and clowned around.

Mason always looks forward to our weekly trip to the library. I'm so grateful to the library for creating such a wonderful environment for children to learn. It's become part of our routine, always starting or ending with a trip to Chick-A-Donald's, as he likes to call it.

Let the Good Times Roll

A couple of weeks ago, there was cause for celebration. My sister Josette is getting married in a few weeks and everybody knows that a bride is not just a bride. She's also a bachelorette. So, of course, we had to let the good times roll. I was so excited. It's not often I get to enjoy a date night with my hubby. The party began at her house with a delicious Peruvian dinner and cocktails with our guys. But no bachelor/bachelorette party would be complete without a night out on the town. So, when the clock struck 9, we loaded into our chariot, a 25 ft. party bus, and the party continued.

(In the pic. from left to right: Me and my sisters: Josette, Annette, and Scarlett)

*******************************

Most moms have an obsession of photographing their families that they rarely are ever seen coming out from behind the camera. That's why Carin @ Forever in Blue Jeans created a new challenge for all blogging mamas. It's called 52 Weeks. Every week moms will be stepping away from their cameras and sharing the spotlights with their loved ones. Looking through my photos, I discovered that it's so true. I'm missing in action in most of the shots. And really it doesn't bother me one bit. Well......maybe just a little. I would have to say that when I look at pictures of me growing up, my favorites aren't the ones of me alone. They're the ones that capture me with my family, especially my parents. So, I'm excepting the challenge.

**********************************

Little Tropper Conquers First SMILEstone

September 1st was a big day for us. Our little guy had his first visit with the dentist. Of course, the camera had to come along with us. Taking the camera may sound a little silly, but I believe in capturing every single BIG moment and this certainly qualified.

I had been prepping him for this day a while now, and I was so impressed with the turnout! I didn't want there to be any unexpected surprises so I made sure he understood that it was now his turn to sit in the big chair. As we sat in the waiting area, we were surrounded by cries of other children clinging to their mothers. All the while, the little guy was as cool as a cucumber, never showing any fears.

When his name was called, we were escorted to the children's wing. The room was stocked with everything imaginable to calm little nerves. He sat down in a Spiderman chair and began to read some books.
Meanwhile, I sat nervously wondering if the cucumber would loose his cool. I was curious how the dentist would interact with him. Was he going to be fun and playful or stern and unpleasant. I wasn't too impressed with the nurse. She just didn't seem like she liked her job at all. Not once did I see her crack a smile. Shouldn't that be part of the criteria when working with children?

She began asking questions. "How much juice and milk does he drink?" "Do y'all have well water?" "How often does he brush his teeth and floss?" Floss?!! Was she serious? Brushing his teeth is hard enough. It's more like pulling teeth than brushing them. Flossing a 3 yr. old's teeth just seems impossible, but a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do.

Then the moment came to finally meet Dr. Dan. He kept things pretty neutral. He was a no nonsense kind of guy, but in a friendly kind of way.

The little guy laid in his daddy's lap and said AAAAAAA. I was so proud of him! It was as if he had done this before. His teeth got brushed and pricked, but I never saw him flinch once. Dr. Dan wiped his teeth and that was that.

Why he didn't let him rinse with water was beyond me. The poor little thing couldn't stand the taste left in his mouth and he was literally foaming at the mouth by the time it was all over.

Nevertheless, he was a little trooper through it all. I told him that he did such a great job that they were giving him a goody bag to take home. Little did he know that it was all part of the plan. Inside the bag was a Diego toothbrush, Spongebob toothpaste and, of course, floss.

Unfortunately, Dr. Dan discovered a tiny little cavity, so we will be returning sooner than we were hoping. Hopefully, the second time around will be as good as the first, minus the cavity. Believe it or not, when we got home, the little guy was already wanting to floss. Maybe it won't be so bad after all.