We had a nice, low-key mother's day celebration. This week everyone will start arriving and it will get crazy, but I am looking forward to every crazy minute.

OK, may I rant for just a moment? We are dealing with the final head count for the guests because we need to get the food order placed. For some odd reason, too many of my guests have opted to not return the little stamped, addressed RSVP card included with the invitation, so we do not have an accuarate count of who will be attending the wedding. Do they expect that we will be calling everyone? Who has that kind of time? What we have decided to do is to make place cards for those people who have sent in their RSVP's. Those people will get assigned seating. Others who just show up will be seated where we can fit them in. Oi! Such headaches! Why can't they just send in the stinkin' little card? (OK, I'm done ranting now)

Over the weekend, I was determined to learn how to do socks with two circular needles rather than 5 double pointed needles. It was pretty easy, and it made the socks go even faster. I'll be stocking up on pairs of circulars now.

May 11, 2002 08:45:02 AM

Leila and I spent part of the afternoon yesterday at Martha's. Her new house is beautiful and her garden is an idyllic little hideaway. She said that if things get hectic this week I can feel free to come and escape there. I just might have to.

May 8, 2002 08:31:27 PM

Despite my lingering sniffles I have been very productive today. I made the ring-bearer's pillow, the floral garlands for the flower girls, and I am still working on my bride's purse. Still remaining to be completed is the photo album and guestbook that need to be covered and decorated. I still haven't found a garter and the toasting goblets are ready to be picked up from the engraver. Its all coming together so beautifully and in less than ten days I will be as close to heaven on earth as possible.

Try this little quiz I found that's kinda fun.

May 4, 2002 09:21:03 AM

Another FO! Actually, three finished objects. I made a spiral knit baby hat and bootiesto match. I am making great progress on my mommy's Mother's Day gift that I am knitting. She taught me how to knit when I was about nine years old, and to this day it amazes me when I see her fingers flying as she knits. I remember how comforting it felt to sit and lean against her legs and listen to her needles clicking away as she would sit and knit while we watched TV or listened to music in the evenings when I was a kid. My mom taught me so many things, and I so much want to pass these things along to Brianna, but she is just not interested.

My sister Dee is taking Brianna shoe shopping today. Brianna, who has been suffering terribly with allergies these past few days woke up looking like something the cat dragged in. I asked if she felt up to going shoe shoppig and she perked right up. This child would rather shop for shoes than eat.

May 2, 2002 09:23:11 AM

All I can think about is getting away this weekend with no phones and no wedding details and no demanding children. I may just sleep the whole time, but I plan to get some writing and some knitting done in between the sightseeing. I hope to come home refreshed and ready to face the last few days of preparation before our big day.

Daryll, my fiancee, told me this morning that his Pastor said in his sermon last week that when we pray it should be with as much passion and vigor and desire as when we are having sex. Hmmmmmm. Something to think about. If everyone prayed with that kind of energy, I think that this world would be a different kind of place.

May 1, 2002 08:37:41 AM

I am a free woman! Yesterday was my last day at work. I had my final meeting with the renovation project manager and we chose lighting fixtures ans tiles for the kitchen and bathrooms. We reviewed the different construction companies that may be bidding on the project and tried to plot out the schedule. The cost estimate adjustments are late again, but they should be in by Friday. Working on this project really taught me a lot about project management, working with the architect, preparing the budgets, tracking expenses and working with the various consultants.

I am so thrilled with the progress we have made and I can't wait to see the church fully renovated when I come back to visit. We have only $300,000 left to raise to meet the budget. Now that we have raised over $1.3 million, $300,000 doesn't seem like such a huge number anymore.

After work, everybody took me out to dinner. It was so much fun. We went to the International Buffet and gorged ourselves. My birthday is on Friday, so when the waitress heard them singing to me, she brought over a little cupcake with a candle in it and I blew it out. Bayo gave me a new cable to sync my Compaq PDA to replace the one that was in my bag when it was stolen. I felt so loved and appreciated. I came home and could not sleep once again, but I was happy. I am really going to miss all of my family and friends here. I am excited about getting married and being with my sweetie pie, but the closer the date gets, the more I am dreading leaving my home. Sniff, sniff.

April 29, 2002 09:47:19 AM

Daryll was supposed to drive up with his family on Friday morning so that they could attend our 'Jack and Jill' wedding shower. Daryll is the youngest of six, so his parents are actually my grandparent's ages. His dad is moving kind of slow these days, and they were unable to get it together to come on Friday, so they decided to leave at 5am on Saturday morning. They arrived around 12:30 tired from the long drive and ready to relax a little before the shower started. There was a little bit of confusion because somehow neither Daryl nor his sister Janice realized that the shower began at 4pm. They were thinking that it started at 6 or 7 amd that it would be at the house when it really started at 4pm and it was going to be in the church fellowship hall. Needless to say, we arrived at the shower late, but had a wonderful time. The guests were enjoying the shower games that the hosteses and bridesmaids had put together, so we arrived to a swirling mass of laughing people having a great time. We played more games, ate tons of wonderful food and received many gifts. When it was time to serve the cake I asked what kind it was and Mona laughed and said, "yellow cake with chocolate frosting, your favorite." She laughed and added, "Do you know that after you told me what kind of cake you like, I called Daryll and asked him what kind of cake he liked, and he said, "yellow cake with choclate frosting! Incredible!" Daryll was overwhelmed at my family and friends' love and support for us. His family had a great time as well. I am truly blessed with some great friends who love me very much. Daryll and I felt so embraced and encouraged. His family was also impressed with how much my family loves him. Its like the Cambridge chapter of the Daryll fan club around here sometimes.

When we got back to the house with arms over-laden with gifts, Pappa asked if we would stop into their house when we got everything upstairs. We went and sat with Pappa and Mona in the living room and Daryll was shooting me questioning looks. I didn't know what was up and I was too tired to try to figure it all out. Daddy said that he had bought Daryll a special gift, but he hadn't done this for his other future sons-in-law, so he wanted to give this to him privately. It was a beautiful suit and it was perfect for him. He was honored, and I think he is thrilled at the fact that my dad absolutely loves him. Daddy has been on a mission to get me married off, but I don't think even he believed that I'd find someone as amazing and wonderful and perfect for me as Daryll is. These last few days until the wedding are going to be busy and exciting, but torturous as well because all I want now is to be Daryll's wife.

At church yesterday, Rev. Hamilton and the elders gave Helen and I a tribute at the end of service. They had made up these beautiful ceriticates and presented them to us, and Rev., in his glowing way told the congregation all about the work that we have been doing and the accomplishments that we have made over the last three years. I cried when he was talking about Helen because she has been so wonderful to work with and I am really going to miss her.

After church we went home and celebrated Amari's and Will's birthdays. When we were cutting the cake I was fadng fast, so I excused myself and came upstairs to bed. As I was walking up the back stairs from grandma's house past Daddy's door, I realized how much I am going to miss this house and my close, warm family.

April 26, 2002 10:19:07 AM