Little Bro Got Married!

It's official! Little Bro and Sweet Lizzy got married on Saturday, July 26, 2008. The weather was great, the ceremony went off without a hitch, and the reception was lots of fun. The families decorated on Friday morning, and then had the rehearsal on Friday evening, followed by dinner at Three Notch'd Grill in Crozet. Here are some pictures of Friday....


These were the outside tables all set up for guests. There were more table inside, and there were caramel apples at each place for the guests. We had to leave them off until the last minute to avoid baiting the bears.

Here are some pictures of the actual rehearsal. Everything was very relaxed and beautiful. There was some question about whether or not practicing the words made Bro and Sweet actually married or not, though. Which I felt was a perfectly legitimate question, having wondered the very same thing myself a year and some change ago! I guess it depends on if the minister "means it"? Anyway, here are the pictures to give you an idea of just how gorgeous it is at Montfair....





Saturday came along, absolutely beautiful. Brian and I were up early, as I had pies to bake for the wedding and he had computer work to do. We left for Montfair around noon, and were running around like crazy people before we knew it. By the time pictures were taken and everyone was completely ready, guests were coming by the carloads, ready to enjoy the day. The weather held out perfectly, if a little on the humid side. Welcome to Virginia, folks, with the air you can wear. Bro and Sweet had been thoughtful enough to provide lemonade, watermelon, and paper fans for their guests, though, which we all enjoyed! The pictures of the wedding that I'll post here are in chronological order. Notice how serious Bro was until he saw Sweet, and that huge grin on his face. I don't think the pictures do any justice to how gorgeous she looked, either. Very elegant and stylish. Her dress was absolutely perfect, and her hair was so very pretty. They really are perfect for each other, and adorable to boot!









Bro and Sweet had great music at the reception, too, and some seriously partying friends. Their first dance was beautiful and deserves a few pictures, too....



All in all, it was a great day. I'm so glad that it all went well for them, and hope their honeymoon goes flawlessly, too. They'll be leaving this week for Guadalajara, Mexico, where they can hopefully relax and settle into true couplehood. Then, of course, it's back to work and school. But, as Brian and I often say, it's easier when there are two. I'm sure there will be more pictures added to my Facebook profile later, but here's one of my favorite photos to close.....

Brian and I talk a lot about not raising tiny consumers once we actually get the chance. We firmly believe that you have to plan how to parent before you have children, or else you've lost ground immediately. So, even though it may seem strange that we look ahead so far, that should explain it. Today I watched this clip on a different website, and decided that it needs to go here for you all to see. I know it's five minutes long -- please watch it and take it to heart. We have to ask ourselves if this is what we want for our children, our society, and for our future. To me, this is indicative of just how horrible our culture has become, and what's wrong with the world in general. Please do not raise children this way, and please stop me if you see me doing it. This is a disservice to us all, and we must stop and think about the consequences of our actions and the new "norm" in which we're raising children.

Interesting Few Days

It was a great weekend around here, all things considering. Granted, I spent Saturday running errands in 9,000 degree heat in a car with no air conditioning, but then I organized a closet, my dresser, and one spare room full of yard sale stuff. Sunday, I did pretty much nothing. Because I didn't want to, which was nice. The week has been kind of nutty, with the Munchkin Coalition running amok all over the house. They have been completely insane all week so far, so I've been beat by 5:30.

I learned a few things this week, though. For starters, apparently it's common (medical) knowledge that prescribing estrogen to women with anxiety problems causes hallucinations. I wish I had known that before I discovered it myself; maybe I would have been more prepared! At 3 AM, Sunday night/Monday morning, our bathroom floor was moving, the shower curtain was crawling, and the bathroom door was breathing. Made for an interesting trip to the bathroom. It's happened since then, but only in that room. Maybe it's haunted, and I'm finding out the hard way? Oh, well. It hasn't really bothered me too much, I'm just getting used to the fact that household objects move and dance now...

I also learned that I can make a darn good pie crust! And that it's not that hard. Little Brother and Sweet Lizzy are having pies for their wedding, and are asking family members to make them. Sure, I could get the Pillsbury Doughboy to make me a couple, unroll them and be done, but it's my brother's wedding, for crying out loud! So I'm learning to make pie the right way.

In conjunction to this crusty discovery, I learned that some rhubarb, sugar, flour, and cinnamon make a great pie filling! It's similar to cherry, being a bit tart, and really yummy. I heart rhubarb. And, if I do say so myself, I make a right pretty pie......



Brian has this weekend totally off, and then goes to Norfolk for three days. Which is annoying! But, he has the following Thursday through Sunday off for Bro and Sweet's wedding, so I shouldn't complain. Last night we grilled some hamburgers and enjoyed the deck for the first time all summer, and I'm looking forward to more of that soon!

I hope everyone has a great day, and a great week.

Ultrasound Fun

Today I was scheduled to have an ultrasound at Slush's office. This is as a result of my not having had a period in nearly six months, even with three rounds of drugs to make such a thing occur. For a while now, I've had a pretty good idea of what was going on, just based on how my body was acting. It turns out I was right.

I drank my required 40 ounces of water an hour before my appointment, and then was dumb enough to show up 25 minutes early. So, by the time I saw the ultrasound technician, I needed to pee as though I'd swallowed the Nile. The tech did a great job, and the ultrasound was a lot less painful then the last time, when a tech kept hitting my lowest rib (is that even near one's ovary?) She was very nice, and told me a lot of what she was seeing, too. Or rather, not seeing. After an external and an internal ultrasound, we had an idea of what was going on.

At the beginning of a woman's cycle, directly after her period, the endometrial lining should be around 2-3 mm thick. Mid-cycle, around the time that a woman ovulates, her endometrial lining should be around 12-14 mm thick. I am currently on cycle day 163, so mine should be around 42 feet, one would think. Instead, it's around 3 mm thick. I have basically no lining. Consequently, I cannot ovulate, and even if I did, I would have no place to put the embryo, barring my pocket. Hence, no pregnancy for me. Apparently it's a sign of an estrogen deficiency, which can be related to the almighty PCOS. Raise your hand if you saw that one coming. You can read a great link on thin endometrial lining here. Check out the last line in that article, if you want to know how I'm feeling. Did I mention there are new cysts on my ovaries, too? They were clear two years ago.

After the ultrasounds, I waited to see Slush. For about 45 minutes. Which means I peed about 6 times, to the amusement of the nurse. Finally Slush came in, told me what I already knew, and gave me some options. We'll start with estrogen replacement, add more progesterone, and then Clomid. We'll give that three months, then move on to Femara, which is more powerful than Clomid. We'll give that three months, as well. If that doesn't work, then Slush will refer me to the reproductive gurus in Charlottesville, as she called them. For high-powered ovarian stimulating drugs and intensive fertility treatments. She said to think positive, and hope that we don't get there. I was hoping we wouldn't even get to here.

I asked Slush for my actual chances of getting pregnant. She didn't directly answer me, and she also wasn't optimistic. However, she wasn't directly pessimistic, either. She knows me too well to give me a percentage or a number to hang my hopes on, or to focus obsessively on in a negative light. I am completely numb at some points, and completely raw at others. I barely remember getting to Mom's house after my appointment, and I don't remember most of the afternoon. However, I can't think too much, or I am easily overwhelmed with a crushing sadness that is very truly only understood by two people in my whole world right now. For Brian and Momma I am unbelievably thankful.

Tonight I went to the closing picnic for Bible school at church, and then for a very, very long drive. I needed to sing, drive fast, and smell the air in the valley. I watched the sunset, and then watched the ladybugs. I saw a few deer, but I did not count them. Okay, I did: four.

It's amazing how I am totally destroyed inside, and yet have a kind of peace about this. I have totally expected this for years. I have suspected the root of the problem for about two months now. We're not surprised by this finding, and we've discussed our options. We'll not be going as far down the infertility road as some people do. Adoption is already on our short list, and we have accepted that we may never produce a child biologically. I don't have to be pregnant. But I do want a child. And, for the record, I am married to an amazing man, in case you were wondering. I've cried a lot in the past 24 hours, and he's been totally okay with that, and has done exactly what I've needed him to. It seems no matter how prepared you think you are, hearing some of these words is still awfully hard.

Saturday has to be better than today, right?!?!

Black Crowes Concert Photos

As promised, here are pictures from the Black Crowes concert that Brian and I saw this past Saturday (7.5.08). We had great seats, and the show was amazing!

These are in order as they happened, so you can pretty much see how the evening progressed. Things to notice:
1. We started out in the third row. We ended up in about the eighth, but never moved.
2. The serious dreads on the guy in front of me. That's commitment!
3. The idiot with the crutches.

Weekend Update

Hey, everyone! I think maybe the blog-gy audience is growing a bit, and I hope you all had a great Long Weekend. The weekend of the fourth was celebrated in Baileysland by accomplishing a lot and spending a lot of time with friends and family.

Friday, Brian and I went to the store and prepared the house for a cookout. Since we had a cookout last year, this may be becoming a yearly tradition. The Bum, The Cousin, and The Godson came over again, accompanied this year by Virgin, Bean, and The Deputy. We got rained in, so it turned into dinner in the dining room. We discovered that while we have plenty of plates and utensils, and always plenty of food, we are eternally lacking in chairs.

Saturday we were up early for the Farmer's Market, which was great as usual. Squash, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, and beeswax came home with us. Since our own veggies are floundering, it's a good thing that the market can provide us with yummy, locally grown goodies.

Saturday evening found us that the Pavilion in Charlottesville, braving a monsoon for a Black Crowes show. We sought shelter at Little Bro and Sweet Lizzy's new apartment, which is snazzy and already fun! I'll have pictures of the show up when I have a bit more time.

Sunday morning we popped out of bed and headed over to Crozet to visit the site that Bro and Sweet Lizzy have chosen for their impending nuptials. It's absolutely beautiful, all green and mountainous. I promised Sweet Lizzy that I wouldn't post pictures and spoil the surprise for anyone, so I'll not do that. Trust me, it's pretty!

Sunday afternoon found us running around town picking up yarn for new Baileys Basics adventures and cleaning our disgusting downstairs carpet. It's amazing how much dirt a year can deposit on your floor, cool vacuum or no. The room looks great and smells nice, too. I heart my Bissell Proheat 2x.

On the reproductive front, there is still nothing to really report. One long, continuous, 160 day cycle. I am scheduled to head to see Slush Friday for an ultrasound, so we'll see what that shows. This should be the most depressing thing yet, but we're in a pretty good place about it. We've discussed what we think the problems are, what some solutions would be, and how far we are willing to go to have a child biologically. We're so open to adoption that it's already on the table, too. At this point, I'm totally okay with not ever being pregnant -- it's not about being pregnant, it's about having a child. I don't care who they look like or where they come from, so long as they're ours soon. I'm not terribly upset, but I am seriously doubting that I'll ever conceive. Call it a premonition, a hunch, or crazy. I know my body, and I don't think it's going to cooperate like we were hoping. God has given me a huge peace about this, and shown me other ways. We'll have children -- I just may not make them from scratch. Thanks to everyone who's being so supportive, and for not letting me obsess. I'll keep you posted.

Catching Up

This has been a crazy busy week. And not in a very good way. When last we left our heroes, they were recuperating from a busy wedding weekend in Louisville. Strangely, I don't think we fully recovered before life threw us another curve. That's kind of how life rolls, isn't it?

Wednesday night Momma called to tell me that a high school classmate had been trying to get in touch with me all day. Since we have the kind of relationship where you run into one another in various restaurants and grocery stores around town, this was strange. What she told me was stranger yet. One of our closest friends from high school is dead. It still seems surreal even to type it. Jessica Bungard was one of the most hilarious, often inappropriate and always thoughtful people I've ever known. If I can be a tenth of the person in 90 years that Jess was in 31, then I'll be happy. If you knew Jessica and would like to see some of what people are saying and feeling, check out these links:
Jessica's Memorial Page
Jessica's Facebook Memorial Page

Jess turned 31 three days before she was killed. She was married in October and for her to have made that leap, he has to be an amazing guy. Jessica was stuck by a car while riding her bike, 9 AM Sunday morning. She was dead on the scene, so we all hope it was blessedly quick.

What really got me about this is how hard it was to get in touch with people, how hard it was to tell them that we are now without this wonderful person, and yet how easy it was just to settle right back into friendships from 13 years ago. The Bum and I went out with a few friends Friday night to talk about Jess and basically try to forget that we had to attend a funeral the next day for someone we've taken for granted for so long. The four of us were laughing and goofing off immediately, and yet sharing our deepest fears and memories of Jess, all at once. Saturday at the funeral was horrible. Truly the most horrible thing I've done in a long, long time. But, we got to see some folks that I personally haven't seen in nearly 13 years. See, I skipped our 10 year reunion. I figured that high school was a pretty miserable experience, and why did I want to repeat that as an adult? Besides, we weren't married at the time, so I felt pretty incomplete as an grown up. And, really, who wants to show up to their reunion mostly unchanged. Still not skinny, still with horrible hair, and still single. So instead I had an immensely successful piano recital and then crashed in my nice, clean, quiet house while everyone else gathered to gossip and mingle. And I missed out, I tell you. MOM!!! I'm admitting it!! I was wrong!

Here's the thing -- I have gone out of my way to avoid some of the people that we went to high school with. I have gone down the wrong aisle in every store in the Burg. Some I avoid all together. Why??! This makes no sense to me. How can anyone be so self-important as to think that others are focusing on your shortcomings in the grocery store? And how haughty is it to imagine that maybe they won't recognize you as you've changed oh-so-much. Or not at all!! If I remember them after 13 years, chances are they will, too. I have often uttered the phrase: "She was rude to me throughout high school. Why would I want to know her now, when I have a choice?" How much more horrible is it for me to be rude at 30?? Someone punch me if I ever say such things again.

One of the biggest regrets of my life is always going to be that I never reached out to Jessica and renewed our friendship. She left her number with my dad, and I lost it when we moved. She was one of my closest friends in high school and still I never bothered. How can I ever know how much richer my life could have been by having an extra 13 years of Jessica influencing it, instead of just 6 or 7? I have a feeling it would have been immensely better.

And how do I know that some of the 172 people we graduated with, or the three or four times that number that we went to high school with, can't impact my life in just as great a measure? Or, being a bit egocentric, how do I know that I wouldn't impact them? How can one truly be a Christian, for that matter, and block others out of their lives? I have no idea how God will use me on a daily basis, and it could easily be lunch or even a phone call to an old friend that is His plan. I have turned my back on people in general, and on the service of the Lord specifically. That is just wrong.

Remember, please, if nothing else: you affect people. In good ways or bad, the slightest thing might be just what they need for today. Call your friends. Call old friends, call acquaintances. Don't go down the other aisle in the grocery store. Go out for drinks and hot wings, if it's your thing. Don't just know that friends got married; know their anniversary and send a card. Know their spouse by name. Don't just know that your classmates had kids; know their birthdays, and be thankful for those endless pictures they email you. Someday your kids will need friends -- maybe you can help them get started. We all had "family friends" as kids; people that our parents knew from work or school or growing up. This was not accidental! We must cultivate friendships and relationships, and be open to being the face, voice, hands, and arms of God for someone else. Whoever your God, allow yourself to be used by Him for good, and make a difference. Go affect someone. Jessica Bungard affected everyone she came in contact with, and no one will ever forget her. I don't want any less, now that I have seen the light. She showed me the way, and I am so grateful.