Ashley Ward's wedding site

It's called The Muscadine Vine and it is gorgee-poo!

The first picture is the apron I'm making for the Belles, so adorable.

The second picture is overlooking the field and lake where the ceremony will be.

The third picture is the one of the kitchen.

The fourth picture is of the yard between the kitchen building and the storage shed where the serving tables will be.

The 5th is from the barn and drive where the guest tables will be looking over toward the serving lines.

I have a few more I'll post later.

Love you Debs!!!

So much.

So much has happened since I last wrote. I wish my memory was super orderly and I could just spit out a time line or something. Katie B is having her second child in December, we find out today (false alarm - no ultrasound today) if we're getting a boy or girl. If the baby is a girl, how will she be different than LydieBug? If the baby is a boy, how will he be like his big sister? We went to the beach for a few days and got to see Lydia be astonished by the Atlantic. On the way to the beach, she stopped on the boardwalk, her hands stretched out, her mouth dropped open, and she shook with excitement. Seeing everything for the first time again is the best thing about being a grand. I'm always watching her face as she looks at the world. I followed her around all over the beach bending over her when she would veer toward the surf. Letting her feel the pull without losing her to the waves.

Corners

We have lots of new corners at our house.

Soapy sudsy corner.

Playtime corner.

Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy corner.

Listening corner.

Sweet sleepy corner.


Love these corners.
Maybe we're turning a corner, too.

kitchen window

The view from my kitchen window. I planted zinnia seeds this spring. I love their joyous chaos.

This picture made me notice that I keep favorite things in the kitchen window. The cactus Mike gave me for our last anniversary with a card that said, "Thanks for sticking with me." The nativity that Jeanne brought me from Spain. The geodes full of baby amethysts, the birdie Ruth Allen made for me. The bottle stopper Sharliss brought me from Italy.


My grandmother always had zinnias. They make me think of her garden spot below the rock wall. They are violating the gardenias and that makes Mike, with his architects love of symmetry, a little uncomfortable.


The butterflies like to come for a visit. The japanese beetles like to visit, too. But, Mikey B got me some spray today at Home Depot that should take care of that. He also got some new shelving for the laundry room. We heard a large crash yesterday and went to see what on earth had happened. I did not take a picture of it. The chaos was not joyous.

How come I never blog?

I suffer from extreme lameness. That's why. I'm too busy doing stupid stuff when I'm not doing super important stuff. It's like one or the other. Really stupid or super important. Blogging must be somewhere in the middle. "Darlin' I don't know why I go to extremes. Too high or too low, there ain't no in between. And if I stand or I fall, it's all or nuthin' at all. Darlin' I don't know why I go to extremes." Billy Joel knows. Sometimes I listen to that song really really loud and think I could have written it. Should have written it.

I have an amazing baby grand baby. I need more words to describe her because the old ones are not enough. All I will say is that I thought I knew what love is. I remember when my baby brother was born when I was 8. I said to myself, "Oh! I see, this is what love is." But there keeps being more and more layers. You'd think I wouldn't be surprised by it at 47. I am completely shocked and blown away by this newest love. Undone. I am love sick. My stomach actually hurts when I think about her.

Her little toes are all perfect in a row. Her little everything is perfect.

A year ago today

Mama and Daddy on their wedding day. Beautiful people. We lost Daddy this time last year. We miss him. A lot.Me and Daddy on my wedding day. Haha, he was in his big glasses phase. He went out and bought new cowboy boots that morning. He said there was no way he was wearing those fruity tux shoes.

Having just been through it with Katie, I can tell you for certain that Daddy's go through a lot on their daughter's wedding day. They have to smile and wave as some guy takes their little girl away. And pay for the whole thing, too.

Anyway, just missing big George today. And every day. A big man with a big heart. A bright light. A huge presence. My daddy.

Where's July?

That reminds me, there is a guy named July in Lonesome Dove. What a seriously great movie.

I got a full time job. I love it. And hate it.

I love it because it is 5 minutes from home in the most beautiful building on Washington Avenue overlooking the rolling hills of the national cemetery. And because I'm working for a generous man of high integrity. I can walk to the square for lunch. Call me.

I hate it because I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how to do my regular life at the same time. Well, I didn't like my regular life all that much anyway. After Dad died in September, Katie got engaged in October, 3 big birthdays, our anniversary and 2 major holidays in November and December, wedding stuff non-stop until April 25th, Weston is diagnosed with leukemia...the aftermath was not so good. May and June were restless times of not knowing what to do with my hands.

So, now I have something to do. And I'm getting paid to do it. Which is nice. If you're married to a builder. And I am.

I haven't had my feet in the sand this summer. And sometimes I have a bad attitude and forget to look on the bright side. Sue me.

To be loved like that.

I wish everybody could be loved like that. Longing for heaven while enjoying earth.

Frodo knows.

"How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand...there is no going back. There are some things that time can not mend. Some hurts that go too deep...that have taken hold."

There is an action item at the end...

"Freaks are emboldened when wicked men are in power."
~Caroline Bedingfield

Our local crisis pregnancy center is scheduled for pro-abortion picketing on Monday. How nice.

Pretty soon, men like my dear friend Dr. Bardwell, will be required by law to murder innocent children.


This from Gary Bauer today...

Obama’s Pro-Abortion Extremism

While President Obama likes to talk about “reducing the need for abortion,” his administration is taking steps to implement one of the most extreme proposals imaginable – repealing conscience protections for medical professionals. Make no mistake about the outcome of this action: religious hospitals, doctors and nurses will be forced to perform abortions or other procedures that violate their values.

This issue clearly exposes the pro-abortion extremism of Barack Obama and the Left. A woman’s “right of conscience” is protected to the extent that she can decide whether or not her unborn baby lives or dies. Now the pro-abortion Left wants to take away the right of conscience from doctors and nurses who want no part in the destruction of innocent human life. That is not “pro-choice” – it is pro-abortion.

TAKE ACTION: As required by law, the administration is accepting public comments before it takes further action on this outrageous proposal. The comment period ends on April 9th. Please respectfully share your thoughts with the Department of Health and Human Services by visiting www.regulations.gov or by sending an E-mail to proposedrescission@hhs.gov.