see?

Yep.
I have the code and everything.
Now, why won't it work when I put it into our template code?....the blogger nav bar blocks it...
tragic huh? [insert puppy eyed plea for help from someone smarter than me and I seem to have broken my links too....wow...I'll be taking donations to buy me a clue....]

http://www.freeflashtoys.biz/apps/countdown.swf?maturity=0808161300B087101032068111033" quality="high" wmode="transparent" width="350" height="60" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" \>

This was on my calendar today....

Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. ~ Colossians 4:2 (MSG Version)
hmmm.....
yep.
I love it when God does stuff like that when I'm bemoaning my life...I mean really....is it all THAT bad?
yes...it's a hard time of year....BUT....there are so many blessings in the midst of the storm...I'm reminded of all the people who came to Christ because of Shawn's death....I don't think he'd trade it even if he could....
hmm...perspective....
someday I'll tell you all about my theory of perceptionism....
bet you can't wait, huh?
p.s. if you're a myspacer....check out Bug's first post...pretty impressive if I do say so myself....

so, um...

when do I get to start posting happy stuff again?
I'm either whining about blogger not doing what I want or missing my brother...this can't be much fun.
so I went to Autozone and I got the seafoam Josh told me to and the good fram air filter...and then I went to Tops to get my prescription...and as I was walking back to my car this guy walking toward me made me look twice...I could have sworn it was Shawn...and then I realized it couldn't possibly be.... and looked again and was still stunned at the resemblance...I wanted to run up to him and hug him and ask if I could talk him into working on my car.....*sigh*
I was looking at memorial candles the other day...I want one at the altar for the wedding...just trying to figure out a way to do it where the family doesn't end up fixated on it and crying rather than enjoying our day....and then I feel selfish....
ugh.
I'm going away now before I depress you further.

*grumble*

man, am I ever clueless!!
So now that we actually have a wedding date...I tried to put the countdown clock that we have on our myspace on our blogger...but the blogger tool bar covers it up....and I still can't fix our links and *whine*
I'm so not good at this....*pout*
yes. I know. I should sit and read all the tutorials...but who has that kind of time? ;-)

awwwww

us....dancing the night away at the Firm's Christmas party....
aren't we adorable?

first birthday....

aww...all dressed up....








discovering the wonder that is cake....













me thinks he likes it...



Yep...that's right...my youngest nephew turns one next week!!!!!

he's gotten so HUGE!!!

quiet mood...questions.....

so...do you think they have birthday celebrations in Heaven? Do you think Shawn knows it's his birthday and that I miss him and wish I could have called him at 6 this morning to sing him the silliest birthday song I could dream up? Do you think he knows he'd be 28 today?
I feel odd...like I know something's wrong but like my subconscious is trying to protect me from it...it's one of those days when the hole is is the giraffe in the room again....how do you not notice?
Shawn was so funny...he'd call at 6 to be the first to say happy birthday...he'd dream up fun ways to wrap a present and he never missed one....all of those siblings and he never missed one....
Part of me wishes I had known it would be his last birthday....I would have done something huge....driven up there dressed as a cake or something....
I hope he knew how much I love him....and how much those calls meant to me...
you know...it was the day after my birthday that I had my last conversation with him? My last words to him were I love you, I'll talk to you later....I'll never regret that...
He left me seven messages on my birthday to make sure he talked to me....and six days later....well...I don't want to start crying so I'm gonna just post and go.

Tis the Season!

So....we've had Christmas music playing for months....and now...the rush is really on...and I have to wonder if stores are really brilliant in starting so early because by now most people are immune to the tunes playing over head and aren't as rushed as they would be if they started the day after Thanksgiving like a normal human would....Bug disagrees....he loves his Christmas music and plays it year 'round. However, I must confess that I changed my alarm clock to play Joy to the World when it goes off...I figure if I start my day on such a cheery note maybe the rest of the day will follow suit :-)
We had a pretty good weekend....crazy busy....
For those that don't know...I was promoted to lead secretary- announced Monday....so the week was full of meetings and training and it's been great thus far....then Friday night we had the Firm's Holiday Party....we got all dressed up...had a great meal and now I have a new dessert to figure out how to make in an easy fashion (which I lucked out....it was angel cake filled with bavarian cream, topped with confectioners sugar and served with white cream and strawberries...that one shouldn't be too hard at all....just a matter of getting the bavarian to the right consistencey) side note....when Bug likes something we eat out, it becomes my mission to attempt to make it at home since he's such a....hmm....ok i'll just say it...he's a picky eater....
Then we watched in amusement as some friends ressurected classic dance moves such as the lawnmower, shopping cart and sprinkler before hitting the dance floor ourselves...
we have a few pics from the party....I'll see if anyone caught some of us dancing.....it was a good night...but then we drove to Cuba after the party and got there around 1:00 a.m. and I'm thinking "I could sleep in my gown and not take my hair down...."
we had the fam christmas party the next day at 1:00 in the afternoon and I had to find the gifts, shop for the dish to pass, dessert and cookies and then come home and make them, get ready and get to mom's and look like I'd had more than two hours of sleep...it was an adventure...especially since Tendai (that's my car....it's Hebrew for "give thanks to God" since she was a freebie, I figured it was quite the appropriate name for her) but anyway....she decided to act up on the way there....sending my already exhausted mind into a tizzy....(btw, we think it might be a loose wire. Now I have to find someone to trace it out who accepts payment in peach pie and cookies....)
But alls well that ends well....the party was fun....we had opportunities to get "money" throughout the evening which was used for a gift auction...rather amusing I must say....
but anyway...that was our weekend...How was yours?

aw yeah!

So...This morning as I flipped my calendars to the right day....I had to smile at today's verse
John 1:16 (NIV) From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

SO...that got me thinking about what blessings have happened lately...and wow...amazing how your outlook changes when you realize the amount of blessings heaped on you...I mean seriously....why is it that just one bad thing is enough to take our minds off of hundreds of blessings?

So start counting your blessings and start smiling...
Scott's home safe from Iraq....he doesn't have to go back....getting transferred to Maryland where there are no overseas deployments (YAY!)
I got promoted this week....came with a raise...was better than I expected...I can get out of debt faster!! and maybe it puts us that much closer to being able to set our wedding date!!

We have my office holiday formal tonight...I'm stoked....Bug is extra hot in a suit (I must borrow a quote from a sweet girl I once met..."it takes a special kind of ugly to look bad in a tux" I dunno guys....something about when y'all dress up....it works :-P
Bug's supposed to bring the camera....so hopefully I'll have a pic or two to post of us all spiffed up...
I still need to bug people to send us pics.....we seem to have very few pics of us together...which is actually kinda funny since we've known pretty much since the day we got back together that we'd end up wandering down the aisle together and want a video of pics (yes...this is a hint...if you've got pics of us...email them......thanks :-D)

well....there's your update....now off to work....
~Eye~

a good reminder...

Stephen Curtis Chapman has got some great songs (right E? ;-) in case anyone else wonders what that means....I sang a SCC song at E & D's wedding....)
this morning is one of those that it almost hurts to breathe...I miss my big brother...but a song came to mind (yeah, who's shocked at that one??)
and I just thought I should share the reminder....

I can do all thingsThrough Christ who gives me strength,
But sometimes I wonder what He can do through me;
No great success to show, No glory on my own,
Yet in my weakness He is there to let me know . . .
CHORUS
His strength is perfect when our strength is gone;
He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on.
Raised in His power,
the weak become strong;
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect.

We can only knowThe power that He holds
When we truly see how deep our weakness goes;
His strength in us beginsWhere ours comes to an end.
He hears our humble cry and proves again...His strength is perfect....

YAY!

so I fixed the pics on the previous posts....now I'm going to lay back and relax....


(ok so yes...I was on Loritab at my mom's and just about to sleep when Kasey took this...but it works with my comment =Þ)
and as soon as Kasey gets the other pics to me....you can have a good laugh at the post about my recovery...oh my...apparently I'm interesting when the pain is no longer making me cry....

because I'm sure you care...

I've recently discovered that to put my pics on host that will allow me to actually display them so you can see them, I have to download them all to my computer and then reupload them.
how dumb is that!?
*grumble*
so...once the pics do come...you will realize how wonderful I am for the effort...
LOL....and since I still haven't had time to show the man how to update...no need to figure out how to sign this...although D&E are on to something with that xx and xy....

ooh pretty

yeah...this is the bridesmaids' dress....all of them agree on it!! woo hoo!
only...it's in sage, not navy like it's pictured ...it's a really light chiffony material....yes. I'm inventing words again. Deal with it :-P

and E....speaking of pics of a boy.....

everyone all together now....AWW!
my youngest nephew...Keiden and his mommy...my sister Andrea....

Hrmph!

so apparently the program designed to make my life easier doesn't quite work that way and I will repost the pictures when I get my photos transfered to a server that wants to cooperate....sheesh!!
in other news...the N brother of mine wrecked his car over the weekend...I called to make sure he's ok and he tells me the deer was delicious...yep. no mistaking where we grew up :-)
Thanksgiving plans are in full works...and I don't have to cook or bake a thing...which almost feels weird....we're going to the man's uncle's bar where we will meet the whole to-be in-law side of the family (we're just gonna call them the tobes, I'm working on interesting names to preserve some anonymity (even if I can't spell it) despite the give away username.....yes. go with it.) and eat until we can't move and then play a rousing game of poker.

say what??

UGH!
AUGH!
*$#*(

yes. I am having a less than spectacular day. In fact. I think we should file this under CRAPTASTIC.

HEY!!

where'd my pictures go?
they showed up yesterday from two different computers....and now they are gone...this is truly a tragedy.

A day in the life.....

FIXED THE PICS!


This is what it looks like when you give me Loritab and then tell me you want me to think/function.....


Yes, I do think I'll keep my feet up...thank you :-)


Kasey gets one more picture before I drift off into that wonderful rainbow like world of Loritab induced slumber......


Nighty night....

Family Fun....

here are some random pics of the family....some from a barbeque at my house the week before the surgery

Mom and I cooking the edible portion of the meal


Nathaniel teaches Kasey the finer points to grilling....


I ask why the chicken is pink and on fire


Josh wonders just what Nathaniel has done to the meal


Nathaniel tells him just what is in that sauce...

another day....

Who's got my dollar?
so it appears as though I'm figuring this thing out...next step....teaching the man what I have learned.....hmmmmmm

trying this picture thing...

ok...here's the day we got engaged:
















and here's the sparkly thing he gave me with the question: (Yes Billy, I said "yes" =Þ)

*whine*

Ok so I got the links in...but why are they the wrong color and at the bottom of the page...
*sniffle* yes. feel bad for me. I'm clueless...I've been beaten by the blog....

Enough?

Ok...so I realize that we're supposed to go through trials, and I realize God is always with me....and I realize he is strengthening me through these...but seriously, how strong does He want me?? I'm beginning to wonder just what He has planned for me to do if I need to be this strong.....
Found out this morning that one of my mom's cousin's killed himself on Sunday....didn't know him...but grieve for his mom.....
Car's acting up....dad thinks it's a ball joint....praying that I can make it to his place Saturday for him to fix it....not sure how dangerous it is to drive like this....God, please protect me!
Good News: Stitches are dissolving
Bad News: I'm still itching on the surface
Good News: those muscles that have been so tight are releasing back to where they belong....
Bad News: they are pulling on the scar tissue making me miserable and in pain...
....last night the pain made me throw up...which of course made the pain worse...
yep. this is a whining post I guess....
these are the days that make you look toward Heaven and ask God if He's seeing an end to the troubles...and does He remember I'm in the cookpot down here.....
He's faithful...I know this....Just gotta remember it through the tears......

clueless much?

ok...so I thought myself to be pretty savvy when it came to computers....yeah I have not a clue....so how on earth do I add links to my side bar? I think I figured out how to post a pic...once I remember to get the disk from Kasey that has the fun pictures......and due to request I think I have to post a pic of my ring....so yeah...this could be an interesting ride as I attempt to figure out how to use this thing and then educate Darryl so he can do the same......lol.....

wow......

so....30 inches of SNOW on October 12. what is up with that!?!?!?
Yes...we're ok....we were very cold for a few days since not only was it snowing and blowing and thunder and lightening...but our power also went out.....the roomie and I got power back Saturday night....D got his back Sunday afternoon....but wow....the destruction....
It wouldn't have been as bad had the trees not still had all of their leaves....but man alive....it looks like a hurricane hit or something....
I don't have any pics of the damage, but any buffalo news site is sure to have them....
(note to self, must get a digital camera....)
yeah, I know, they aren't that expensive anymore....it's just a matter of taking the time to do such things.....
still waiting for God to bring some other things in line so that I can set up my little home office to make fun posts with interesting pictures and stuff to keep you from falling asleep while you read :-)
But his timing is perfect.......and he's bound to teach me to be patient at SOME point :-)

pictures and such to come....

although not as hotly anticipated as E's birth story....the "how to recover from a laporascopic cholesystectomy" (complete with the correct spelling of that!) is coming...as soon as A) Kasey sends me the pictures and 2) I figure out how to post them....
in other news...I started back to work yesterday after a three week recovery time...wow...talk about system shock...by lunch I was ready to crash....so far so good today....very tired, woke up with a bit of a headache and I'm a little sore in the incision region...but going from couch potato to busy legal assistant over night is a bit of an adjustment....imagine that....litigation being hectic....hmm!
I promise that as I figure out how to use this blog thing and get time...it will get more interesting...this will also be a great way to share wedding plans and such...
anyway...off to the rest of the day....

so here we are...

E, be thrilled. I did it.
Published we are!!!
so now...just gotta get some pictures and fun stuff going on....