That Kind of Day

Over 1000 pictures held under close scrutiny in the period of a month. A single photograph consists of many things: texture, color, shapes, lines, happy, sad, laughter, anger... A thousand captured moments. You see the subjects over and over; you study their eyes, their mouths, hands, feet, legs, personalities. You do not judge because what is so, is so. The emotions flow over you, leaving little trace behind. You accept the cleansing because you must understand the picture before accepting it as a photograph.

After hours studying my own photographs, I have become more familiar with the persons in them. But the familiarity extends beyond the subjects: I have seen myself. In each picture, there I am; behind the veneer of the sweet flower girl or the happy couple; my selfdom, that force of me, glows distinct. The pictures are not about me; they are about someone else. Yet, I am part of them; I cannot help being here. 

There is certain amount of power in that. It is both ridiculously frightening and exhilarating to realize something in us is so significant; how we can change the lives of so many people with a single word or action:  such as... taking a picture. Yet, we forget we possess it: we grow accustomed to it, or perhaps we abuse it or maybe we never realized our potential. We are humans; we exist. That alone is mind blowing. When you add to it the fact that we are created in God's image, it becomes further astounding. 

I am told that I over think  insignificant, small things that should sometimes stay that way. I see the logic in this mindset. When I become angry over something small, my tendency is to feel very guilty for a very long time. Guilt is good... until you crown it king and allow it to rule. C.S. Lewis once said, "I sometimes think that shame, mere awkward, senseless shame, does as much toward preventing good acts and straightforward happiness as our vices can do." Pondering something is good until it takes the joy and spontaneity out of life. We need balance: knowledge of the power that exists in our souls plus the realization of how small we are in comparison to the Universe. 

It brings a question to mind: if my essence is so blended with all I touch, is not God here with us as well? He exists but we do not fully understand how or where. We catch glimpses in nature, in people, in situations: "Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." Matthew 25:44-45

 ::inserts another C.S. Lewis quote which inspired me today:: "The essential meaning of all things came down from the 'heaven' of myth to the 'earth' of history. In so doing, it partly emptied itself of its glory, as Christ emptied Himself of His glory to be Man.... That is the humiliation of myth into fact, of God into Man; what is everywhere and always, imageless and ineffable...becomes small, solid—no bigger than a man who can lie asleep in a rowing boat on the Lake of Galilee." 

What is my conclusion then? I am sincerely happy to be done editing Carole-Lyne's wedding photographs. Haha. I shall continue on doing my best; trying to help people see that life is more about just existing. To stop when I begin just existing and to begin living. That way today is a tea and C.S. Lewis type of day. :-) 

Senses

The other day, I had put a bean soup into the slow cooker in the morning. It had heated nicely and was smelling the house up by the time we got home from work. When we walked in the door, Lydia said, "Ohh. The cat litter is smelling." I smelled for a second then turned to her and said, "Actually, that's the beans." Says something about my cooking, doesn't it? Lol.

I am still in the midst of editing wedding pictures. Even though I had hoped to complete the remainder of them on Wednesday evening, there are still around 100 left. One more evening! Here are a couple that I enjoyed.

Other than that, preparing music festival entry forms has been taking up my time. And oh yes! My phone crashed yesterday morning. Since I use it mostly for teaching and keep very little personal stuff on it, the damage isn't too bad. But it is annoying that I lost all of my contacts. At least we got it working again. I rather need it...

snAp sHoTs of my LIFE

This blog post belongs to the points in my life which have recently been happening and should be (?) shared with the public via blogger. I love today's social society.

***

Yesterday, Lydia called our mum to wish her a very happy birthday. After these were delivered and received, Mum mentioned that our newly married sister, Hannah Ives, was looking for a play pen to put the baby in while she was working the garden next Spring.
 "Oh," says Lydia. There was a brief silence. Then, "Are they... expecting?"
"You didn't know?" Mum asked.
 "No," replied Lydia.
"We thought you knew!" Mum said.
 "No, we did not," replied Lydia.
"Well, she's due in March sometime," Mum informed.
 I was at work at that point and Lydia wanted to text me but Jesse wouldn't let her because he wanted to see my reaction to the news. (He was also gloating in anticipation about referring to Lydia's and my 3 year old sister, "Aunty Sara.") So when I get home, Lydia waves a notebook in my face that had a big note written in it "Hannah is expecting sometime in March." I flipped, of course. Lydia and I have begun calling each other "Aunty Lydia" and "Aunty Naomi"... and we're wondering what on earth to give her that will be the greatest help. And we're wondering how visits are to be arranged and how to spoil Hannah and baby. Oh such a excitement!
I had wanted to wish Mum a happy birthday as well, so I phoned her and expressed my desire for her to have a lovely birthday. Then, I asked to speak to Marty.
"So," says my sister, "I'm... um... making a cake. Because... um... we all forgot it was Mum's birthday. Except maybe Dad. Anyways, Mum got off the phone with Lydia and said, 'That was Lydia wishing me a happy birthday' and we're all like, 'It's your birthday?!'"
It was a red letter day for communication among the Holter offspring.

***

Insomnia has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. So were night terrors. As I grew older, it seemed to get worse and better, depending on what was happening in my life at the time. When I left home, I slept better than I had in years. But when my husband and I began to share a bed at night, the first months were filled with me screaming frantically and trying to rid myself of whatever or whoever stalked my dreams.  I would wake up sweating and struggling in the blankets, but there was one thing that came to my consciousness very quickly: Jesse. He would hold me close, smooth my hair on my head, whisper in my ear... soon these instances diminished and now, I have them very rarely. It's because of him. I still struggle with sleeplessness. But when insomnia invades those dark hours, what used to be a curse is now a blessing. I lay awake, listening to my lover breathe. He sleeps so soundly, yet he would be awake in a moment if I needed him. I no longer fear the night. Precious are the moments of silence I share in the presence of my beloved.

***

This morning, we slept until past 10 and got up to make a brunch. Since the house was still cold from the night, we opened blinds and curtains to allow the sun's warmth inside. Jesse's cat, Snow, has a decidedly annoying habit of always wanting to be inside and outside, depending, of course, on what side of the door he is on. No sooner have we let him out, he wants back in and vice versa. Lydia seems to enjoy spoiling him by opening the door at his wish but we are not so kind. This morning, however, I opened the door wide, letting the sun into the kitchen while I made potato pancakes. The breeze mixed with the sunlight and the sound of the falling leaves made it a most delightful experience for us humans. Snow, on the other hand, was flabbergasted. Should he be in or out? Should he sit on the doorstep? Should he pace? Or should he sit? What would show his dignity best in this difficult situation? In the end, he sat on the rug just inside the door and glared at the openness until we shut the door.

***

There was a party the other night celebrating numerous birthdays. It was a pot luck affair and I decided we were going to make use of the remnants of the roasted chicken we'd had on Wednesday. At my request, Jesse went to the garden and dug potatoes, carrots and an onion. He was also supposed to find basil and garlic but he couldn't locate them. He even got out his phone and googled what they were supposed to look like. (I love this man.) I was just on my way home from work so when he called me to ask for my assistance, I met him in the garden 7.25 minutes later. There was no garlic; apparently, it had all been harvested. But the basil and oregano were both there and flourishing. There is something remarkable about growing and harvesting fresh herbs. They add such delicate, full bodied flavor to a dish. In this case, I tore the basil leaves up and stripped the oregano from it's stems before adding it to the chopped meat.
Soup is very satisfying on every count. I enjoy all soups, though chicken and turkey are favorites. To make chicken soup, you must have chicken, chicken broth, a variety of vegetables, herbs and creativity. I suppose that is my favorite thing about soup: you can use your imagination. Good soup is an art. When we were eating my soup later that evening, I held a potato aloft on my spoon and announced proudly, "This vegetable was in the ground 3 hours ago."
Lydia snorted, as wise sisters always do and asked me to refrain from bragging. "What?" she calmly said, "Like you weren't raised eating fresh vegetables." True, but it felt good knowing my abilities as a hard working farm girl are still lurking under the surface.

***

There have been some people wondering about my spiritual well being. I appreciate your concern. I need the prayers. My search for Truth goes on and on every moment of each day. I do not claim to be well versed in Truth and Love. In fact, my lack of knowledge both frightens and thrills. I am fearful because I understand only a little of the depths to which I can plunge. God help me. But I am elated by circumstance because I can grow and learn. This is not the end; I can go on. My latest epiphany is that before I can forgive others, I must forgive myself, as God forgives and loves me. Because, guess what?! I hold endless grudges against myself and my past or future actions. I cannot exist this way. Do you ever have trouble forgiving yourself? There is a moment in which we see ourselves through the eyes of Eternity.

***

My piano schedule has filled dramatically. In fact, I am teaching 4 days per week instead of the usual 3. So far, 17 students. Lydia is also teaching (in my kitchen!) so we will be able to compare notes and ideas. I am looking forward to another great year of students. As I've mentioned before, my students broaden my horizons; at times, it is their genius and it is their ignorance combined which allows me to understand music more fully. My free moments are spent studying, scheduling, practicing...

***

Politics: I was raised to ignore them. In actuality, both parties usually annoy me to no end, so I chose to follow the ignorance. But ignorance does not make our world any better. My husband and his family are heavily involved with politics so when I began falling in love with Jesse, I sought to understand what was so interesting about two parties saying, "We're better. They're lying. We'll do this. See what they've done to the economy? You should elect us." The fact of the matter is, politicians talk down to people because people want to be talked down to. There are some free thinking, strong individuals who actually see outside off the box. But many people will vote for THEIR party, regardless of policy (or, the lack thereof). They will quote bold statements which have no basis in Truth because their party's politician said it. They want someone to blame so they blame whoever is in power. There are times we are not worthy of freedom. The most frightening thing? Great evil can be put into power through ignorance. Goodbye, freedom.
In regards to the Obama/Romney election, we were watching "West Wing". In this particular episode, President Bartlett was talking to Josh Lyman about economy, power and broken promises. His words were very timely given present circumstances and I wanted to share them here:

"There was a man named Canute, one of the great Viking kings of the 11th century. He wanted his people to be aware of his limitations, so he led them down to the sea and he commanded the tide to roll out. It didn’t. 
"Who gave us the notion that Presidents can move the economy like a play-toy? That we can do more than talk it up or smooth over the rough spots? It’s a lie. What we really owe that union is the truth." -- (Jed Bartlett) West Wing, Season 5, Episode 19 "Talking Points"

***

September 10th, 2011, we stood in front of an audience and proclaimed our commitment to each other. We had already made an everlasting commitment to each other on November 5th, 2010 but there were many who needed to witness our union. It was the best wedding we have ever attended... not just because it was our own (my goodness, if I could have passed the stress off to someone else...) but because it was a party where all could feel comfortable with who they were. There was good company, good music, good food... and most of all, so much love.
They say the first year is the hardest. I say, if this is so, then I am looking forward to the years to come. We have had our rocky points (like, for instance, Jesse was ignoring me and I wanted attention... so I poured a cup of cold water over his head) and sometimes, one of us will get annoyed at the other. But our friendship has never wavered, nor our respect for the other. There is such freedom to be who we are as individuals, yet someone there to lean on. I never thought I would ever meet such a kindred spirit. Even from the first moment of conversation, we felt a deep connection. I fought it at first because I was frightened; but it only grew stronger and more insistent. I know that God had a hand in this union.

***

Regarding items of varying sizes and importance that float through my life: God, Jesse, Lydia, The Cat. Oh my... I'm going to be an aunt. :-D They have all been duly noted upon. Enjoy, dear readers. May the future be brightest and may Truth be an amazement.

Picture Update

I am so happy for them! :-)

Love their hair.

Uriah.

Mum. Isn't she lovely?

Dad and Jesse talking about Jesse's current work project.

Cilla and Martha washing dishes. Such good girls. :-)

A Post of Few Words

The recital is over and done! It was a success; my kids did amazingly well. I am so proud of them. The past few days have just flown by and tonight, we're on our way up north to prepare for Hannah and Daniel's wedding. The next week is probably going to be very busy so I wanted to post a few pictures of what we've been doing lately. Enjoy!

 One of my students' mothers made these for the snack after the recital... in fact, she made the music notes which decorate the cupcakes. They were sooo good.

If it hadn't been for this wonderful man, the recital would have been much more difficult for me. Before, I would have to haul the keyboard on my own or wrestle a fellow hauler out of someone. Haha! But he always carries my keyboard now... I don't have to ask. He just does it. Between him, Lydia and others, things were set up and taken down in record time. :-)

Another mother gave me this quilt. I have already designated it for wrapping up my keyboard when we have to move it.

 The finished deck. We're really excited and happy about all the added place. As soon as we get back, we'll have to have a deck warming and have everyone over. :-)

The sun finally came out!

Now, if it will only stay that way for Hannah's wedding. Mom says that the spot they wanted to get married at is a bit puddled right now. Lol! 

A Post of the Tired Mind

I was just sitting here, thinking about how tired I am. Two of my students transfered their lessons to Thursday so I have an hour to sit and relax. And I think I need it. My only wish is that Jesse were home from work. Soon, though. :-)

I am thankful I have something to be tired from. And of course,

If you must have motivation, think of your pay check on Friday. -- Noel Coward 

(My inspirational quote of the day.)

Here's another one:

We can only learn to love by loving. -- Iris Murdoch

Btw, if you hadn't noticed already, my sister Hannah is getting married on June 2nd. It's going to be a red letter day!

March 11th -- Clock

This clock was a wedding gift. It stands sentinel over our living room, watching the passerby, my music lessons,  the cat and Jesse and me snuggling on the couch. We love our clock.

Somewhat back from the village street

Stands the old-fashioned country-seat.

Across its antique portico

Tall poplar-trees their shadows throw;

And from its station in the hall

An ancient timepiece says to all, —

      "Forever — never!

      Never — forever!"

Half-way up the stairs it stands,

And points and beckons with its hands

From its case of massive oak,

Like a monk, who, under his cloak,

Crosses himself, and sighs, alas!

With sorrowful voice to all who pass, —

      "Forever — never!

      Never — forever!"

By day its voice is low and light;

But in the silent dead of night,

Distinct as a passing footstep's fall,

It echoes along the vacant hall,

Along the ceiling, along the floor,

And seems to say, at each chamber-door, —

      "Forever — never!

      Never — forever!"

Through days of sorrow and of mirth,

Through days of death and days of birth,

Through every swift vicissitude

Of changeful time, unchanged it has stood,

And as if, like God, it all things saw,

It calmly repeats those words of awe, —

      "Forever — never!

      Never — forever!"

In that mansion used to be

Free-hearted Hospitality;

His great fires up the chimney roared;

The stranger feasted at his board;

But, like the skeleton at the feast,

That warning timepiece never ceased, —

      "Forever — never!

      Never — forever!"

There groups of merry children played,

There youths and maidens dreaming strayed;

O precious hours! O golden prime,

And affluence of love and time!

Even as a miser counts his gold,

Those hours the ancient timepiece told, —

      "Forever — never!

      Never — forever!"

From that chamber, clothed in white,

The bride came forth on her wedding night;

There, in that silent room below,

The dead lay in his shroud of snow;

And in the hush that followed the prayer,

Was heard the old clock on the stair, —

      "Forever — never!

      Never — forever!"

All are scattered now and fled,

Some are married, some are dead;

And when I ask, with throbs of pain,

"Ah! when shall they all meet again?"

As in the days long since gone by,

The ancient timepiece makes reply, —

      "Forever — never!

      Never — forever!"

Never here, forever there,

Where all parting, pain, and care,

And death, and time shall disappear, —

Forever there, but never here!

The horologe of Eternity

Sayeth this incessantly, —

      "Forever — never!

      Never — forever!"

-- Henry Woodsworth Longfellow

March 7th -- Fruit

For part of our wedding present from my parents, my Mom and sisters made us some home canned fruit and veggies. They hauled it down to the wedding in the cupboard that my dad made as the other part of the wedding gift. We love digging through it all and finding goodies. :-) 

At Christmas, someone gave us a jar of pomegranate jelly. We haven't eaten it yet; I guess I'm waiting for the perfect occasion.

30 Days

All my life, my heart has yearned for a thing I cannot name. -- Andre Breton

One month ago today, Jesse and I stood up in front of witnesses and very legally became Mr. and Mrs. Jesse and Naomi Twietmeyer. It was a wonderful day filled with wonderful, beautiful people... the joy of it will always be etched into my memory.

There are so many things I remember clearly throughout those days. One of the most amazing is seeing everything I envisioned come to reality. Throughout the months, I had developed some very firm ideas of what I wanted in a wedding. Since I am a photographer, I wanted everything to be picture friendly. Some things look very good to the eye and horrible in pictures. I wanted to avoid that. I really wanted to avoid that. Yay for Sam (sister-in-law) and Lindsey (best friend). And Paul (father-in-law). And Jesse (husband). And Dianne (mother-in-law). And Kate (Di's sister). And my family (my grandparents came a couple days early and my immediate family, the day before the wedding). Ok. Yay for everyone! :-)

While there are many memorable moments from those days, there are some that will never leave me. Small glimpses in time, snatched away to tuck close to my heart. I remember someone once telling that the days before my wedding and my wedding day would all be a blur... that I would too excited to notice or care very much. I thank them for warning me. I promised myself that if I could help it, the blur and excitement would not swallow me: my consciousness would be completely intact and God helping me, I would enjoy every minute of that day.

One of the Most vivid memories I have was right before the ceremony was to start. We had come back late from pictures and the wedding was supposed to be starting right away. I felt windblown and frazzled but everyone was assuring me that I looked amazing. Lol. Lindsey and I ran down the stairs the back way from the dressing rooms and into the kitchen downstairs. From there, it was quick washroom break and rushing to other set of stairs. Right as we were about to enter the Green Room entrance, the outer doors opened and some dear friends walked in. She was carrying her brandnew baby girl. The sight of my friend's smile and her mother beauty calmed me. Some moments are pure orchestration. That was no coincidence.

There was Another right before the processional. My new family was about as frazzled as I was but they still took the time to argue about what exactly was going to happen. This was going to happen... no! this was! It was quite funny. Furthermore, this is how they are: always have been, always will be. I kept laughing and trying not to smudge my make-up. I love them.

I will Never Forget walking down the aisle, holding Sara and Ruth's hands. Cilla walked down right before us, holding my bouquet. In the theatre, there are two aisles to walk down. We used the one to the right. I was afraid that the people seated to the left of the theatre wouldn't be able to see anything so I asked the marriage commissioner to announce that everyone was to remain seated. She forgot but it didn't matter. I think it was the sight of me with my little sisters that caught everyone off guard. :-) They didn't stand up until after I was almost down to the bottom of the aisle. The moment was the congregated, "Awww..." that rippled through the crowd when they realized what was happening. I definitely got the cute factor going with those sisters of mine. I love them!

There was another one, Earlier on both dressed for the big day, there was that moment: seeing Jesse and Jesse seeing me for the first time in our wedding clothes. Neither of us can figure out how we got so blessed. For me, the realization that there is actually a man in all creation who I can trust simply blows my mind. Add to that the fact that he loves me and I love him... well, I really didn't think it was even possible. I had given it up to God as a dream that would never be fulfilled. I would do whatever he wanted me to do with my life, even if that meant never being married.

We wrote our vows to each other. Jesse's was so beautiful. I have never heard anything so poignant and certain and full of love. (Afterwards, my dad said that when he heard Jesse's vow, he knew he could put away the shotgun. Haha.)

Naomi,

Few things are truly important.

I could throw away all my possessions and have lost nothing;

but your love is everything to me.

I stand before you now to promise you all that I am.

I make this promise with a full heart,

without fear or reservation,

for you are the only truly important thing to me;

I will stand beside you until the end,

because I love you.

The Peace I felt while saying my vows to Jesse. I had been so nervous that I would forget the words or falter. But when the time came, I was very, very calm. I meant those words with every ounce of my being and they came out like that. Thankfully. :-)


"Jesse, I love you. I love you  because you are my best friend. I love you because you are a good man. I love you because you seek Truth. I love you because you make me laugh. I love you because you are so annoying. I love you because you are God's answer to all of my prayers. But mostly I love you because I love you. You are the most beautiful thing in my life and it is with great joy that I pledge myself to you. I will pray for you. I will hope and dream with you. I will be with you as long as our lives shall last."

And what about the cake... talking with friends... the first dance... Michele's toast to the bride and groom... Lee-Amber asking me to open the card she had given me so I could read what she had written before she left... Samantha and Matt MC-ing... square dancing... coming downstairs after the ceremony to grab a drink of water and meeting up with Ray and Tahnis (squeal!)... talking with the grandparents... being welcomed into the family by Paul... The realization that we had actually pulled off a beautiful, gorgeous wedding for about $3000 (people were so generous)...  Jesse and I looking at each other around 11 pm, then sneaking off home without telling anyone (aside from Ellie).

What a good day. What a good rest-of-our-lives. It all began 11 months ago when Jesse told me he loved me.

I love my man. 

...because you asked

Here are some of the pictures our photographer took. I hope you enjoy them as much as we are!

Oldest and youngest. :)

The Holter clan and 2 very happy Twietmeyers. Well, technically at that point I was still a Holter but who cares about technicalities anyway?

Me and my two Mums. Aren't they beautiful, lovely women?

love... love... love... this picture!

Best friends. :hugs:

2 Days... Wedding Prep

I am glad that you all enjoyed the last couple of posts. One of things I have always longed for was to be involved with wedding preparation.. and we always lived too far away for me to participate. But this time... YES! :-D So, assuming that there are other females who feel the same about this as I do: 

Wedding make-up trial. Lindsey, Lydia and I went to see a friend in Carlyle to get some tips for applying makeup. ...

....Connie was quite helpful and very knowledgeable. She is also generous with her talents so Lindsey and Lydia are counting on her help on the big day. 

Gretel, one of Todd and Connie's cats, who usually is pretty shy around visitors, is obviously a girly girl at heart. She came and watched, fascinated. 

For the oreo cupcake cheesecake.... these are going to be so good!

The batter...

Filling the pans... I am really looking forward to these!!! :-D

Lasagna for the rehearsal dinner... Mmmm!

Grandpa and Grandma Holter arrived yesterday evening.

Smiling. Happy. Excited. And just a little stressed. But just an eensy, weensy bit. ;-)

Thanks to Lydia for taking the cake pictures... 

::is content::

Lindsey sewing the bustle into my dress. :-)

Having fun putting the favors together!

The first 80 favors. They're turning out so beautifully. They have specialty chocolates in them from all over Europe. Costco, we love you!

I handmade each favor tag; each one is has our initials in calligraphy, the date of our wedding, rubber stamped dragonfly, and edges darkened with stamp pad. Then, each of the 237 favor tags have a different quote on the back. It's so rewarding when you put so much effort into something and it turns out the way you wanted it to! Lydia and I spent most of the morning working on these.

Post #401: Dinner is Delayed By An Explosion

Can you believe it? 401 posts. So much in my life has changed since October 20th, 2008. I have grown so much spiritually and mentally; my health is so much better. And, there are only 5 more days until I become Mrs. Jesse Twietmeyer.

Yes, I am beyond this world excited. I have to talk myself through the day because I am a bit jittery and ridiculously emotional. :-) But underneath that shouting, wild joy is a quiet contentment. I am not frightened to be married to Jesse. I am marrying my best friend. Someone who knows me better than I know myself and someone I know better than he knows himself. To think that God orchestrated our lives, gave us decisions, watched as we grew and became better people, more ready for serving him and each other. It nearly blows my mind, to quote Fr. Banga. :-)

I was just chatting with my Aunt Edi. She lives down in Washington state and is a busy wife and mother. We don't get to talk often so this was a real treat. We were discussing weddings (no duh) and I suddenly had a memory from her wedding (I believe I was about 9 years old?)...  I remember the scene very clearly: about 10 minutes before the ceremony was to start, she was all dressed, hair done, etc., etc., so she came out and looked at the church and all of us dressed in our finest. Her dress was rather bulky and she wanted to sit down where it wouldn't get squished. The best option, as it turned out, was the piano stool. It seemed like a good idea. Getting up and onto it was not part of that good idea. Haha! But what I remember from her nearly falling off that stool was a laughing, dazzling shriek of gladness. I think what she needed was an excuse to make some noise. She was glowing... amazing... beautiful. She made me feel so glad to be alive and enjoying life.

Happy memories. :-)

Now for a funny tale:
Yesterday was spent over at Jesse's and my place. I was getting favor tags done (all of my craft stuff is over there), Jesse was completing his film project (it turned out so well... he's so pleased with it!) (I think it's great too) and Lydia went through our refrigerator. (It was pretty bad.) Anyhow, Jesse makes the best spaghetti. And I'm not just saying that because he's my fiance. He really does make the best spaghetti. :-) He was quite busy with this; had the hamburger browning in the frying pan and the sauce mixed and he had just put a pot of water on the stove for boiling the spaghetti... when suddenly, this horrible explosion.... or noise.... or something rocked the kitchen. Jesse yelled louder than I've ever heard him yell; Lydia and I both hollered too. It scared us half to death. After we were quiet again, Jesse asks, "What just happened?!" He was standing amongst a shards of glass plate. It had shot clear past the table and all the way over to the other wall. There were also shards on the counter, on the other side of him. It was underneath all of the stove burners and all around his feet. There was, literally, glass everywhere.

As it turned out, he had accidentally turned on the wrong burner. Instead of the back burner for the spaghetti water, he had turned on the front burner which had the plate he had set the defrosting hamburger on. Therefore, exploding plate/cold spaghetti water. As Lydia says, "The first broken dish in your house, Naomi. It couldn't have been more dramatic."

We were all so rattled. I helped with the cleanup and when I accidentally touched Jesse's foot with the broom, he yelped. Hehe! It's one of those things that you wish you knew was going to happen so you could watch it happen. It was all over in a second; we hardly realized what had happened until afterwards.

The best thing was that no one got hurt.

And boy, is it ever going to be exciting to marry this man. :-) 

Beautiful Moments

These are some pictures I took of at a friend's wedding this month. I am only posting my favorites since the internet connection seems to be hating me tonight. :-P :-) But I hope you enjoy seeing the beauty of the bride and the wedding. It was definitely a highlight of my summer!

Ruth and Justin ... happy bride and groom

I find much art in this picture. 

The cake topper and the pretty cupcakes. Unique. ::happy sigh::

A dear friend of mine wore lace. That is definitely one of the reason I love weddings. They give everyone an excuse to dress in their finest, prettiest clothes.