Going to the Chapel

A big congratulations to Emma and Greg who got married in Fort Wayne last Saturday! The weather was perfect and the day went off without a hitch. The reception was held in Columbia City and the happy couple is now at the happiest place on Earth - Disney World. Here are some scenes from the weekend...

Rehearsal dinner at Casa's....the best place ever!

Is the salad coming soon???

Waiting in the nursery

Mid-October Already?!

Greetings, dear friends. Not much to update from the last week, but it's good to check in anyways. Bonnie is getting better and better and we're not as overwhelmed with her puppy-ness anymore. Things were pretty uninteresting here last week as Brent worked a lot for year-end and I studied for the Financial portion of the CPA exam whenever I wasn't taking the dog outside to potty...again. We were able to squeeze in the latest episode of The Office, but even the Hills and Biggest Loser had to be paused for the exam.

On Saturday Brent went to Jonathan's to watch the Boilers lose to Ohio State (is it basketball season yet???) and I worked at the soup kitchen at our church. It's called Bread 'n Bowl and it has been running at our church (North Church) on 38th street for 35 years now. This is something new I've been helping with and I really am excited about the possibilities it brings. For example, on Saturday I met this girl named Christy, and she was just so, so timid and sweet and I thought, "Honey, you're never going to make it! Come home with me!" I am hoping she will come back next time I'm there so I can get to know her more and find out her story.

Today we were off work for Columbus Day (don't hate us) and I took the exam this morning. It went...okay. It will be another close one. If you don't hear anything about it by the end of November, you can assume I failed. I had many people thinking and praying for me though, so hopefully it will turn out okay. If not, you all know what I'm going to do....take it again!! After my exam we went to a rib fest at Eric and Kelly's house. Eric got a smoker for his birthday so he made us Kansas City style ribs and Memphis ribs. Both were delish.

Alright, off to fold some clothes. But before I go...

I'm feeling a little easier about our pit of an economy now because we have learned how to live off the land. That's right, this delectable green pepper came out of our weed patch in the backyard! We also grew a few gourds (which I thought were going to be cucumbers...at least that's what the little tag said when I bought the plant this spring) that will come in handy for autumnal decorating.



I made freezer corn for the first time this summer. It was fun and I wish there was still some left to freeze... My grad school friend Betsy sells sweet corn at a Farmer's Market close to our house. Her business is called My Dad's Sweet Corn - check it out and stop by one of their locations next summer! Very cool.

Quote from last week's Office:

"When I discovered YouTube, I didn't work for five days. I did nothing. I watched Cookie Monster sing Chocolate Rain about a thousand times."

"The Dog WhoWill Not be Ignored"

I see that my mother has given my dog this phrase after her name, similar to Maddie, The Amazing Barking Dog. I don't see anything Amazing in Bonnie's name, YET. I'm going to teach her how to dial 9-1-1 with her nose, and then we'll see what her name is after she saves your life someday, Big Lou. Hmmmphh. :)

This weekend we headed to Kendallville for the Apple Festival, one of my favorite weekends of the entire year. I was bragging to Brent that it was my 18th consecutive year attending the Fest, but I shut up after realizing that it was Ashley's 23rd consecutive year, which would also be the same age as the festival. I think she should do it up on the 25th anniversary by eating 25 Apple Fritters or something equally ridiculous. Or buying 25 arrowheads in the primitive area.

Speaking of Apple Fritters, I ate three this weekend. Yes, I am gross. I felt so lethargic on Saturday night - what with my body trying to process all the fat and whatnot - that I went to bed at 9:00. Don't worry if you think I got too much sleep though, because I got to clean exploding cage poo about three times that night.

It was a great weekend of hometown fun with Ashley, Laura, Emma, and Greg. We left pretty early on Sunday afternoon because Bonnie was getting close to overstaying her welcome with the all-night barking and peeing on the living room carpet. We were able to listen to the Colts' game on the drive home and Brent nearly swerved the car several times in that last six minutes. The Colts are scary this year! Glad they squeaked it out.

This is too funny not to post.

Who are those two pioneers wandering down the road? Whoops, my parents, who had to walk home because I didn't hear my phone...three times. Maybe Bonnie wasn't the only bad houseguest this weekend...

I missed the memo on College Day at the Fest

I hear that Emily is getting impatient for more Bonnie pictures, so without further ado, here is more of The Dog Who Will Not be Ignored.

Bonnie likes helping me study for the CPA exam. She would like for me to pass already so I have more time to pay attention to her.

Bonnie and Roxanne - "There's about to be a what? A dog fight!"

The puppies were wild!

She really likes to help make dinner, do dishes, or whatever it is we're doing in the kitchen. She wants to be in the action, so sitting on this box must help her feel included. The original purpose was to keep her from crawling behind the stove, but I'm glad to see it serves a dual purpose.

All tuckered out from a 2-mile walk...we were trying to wear her out and it worked...

And last but not least...please take note that Larissa has a blog now! We are all sure to be entertained.