I had a mini-meltdown yesterday, but today has been good. Hopefully, I’m over the angst and anxiety of the holiday preparations. Thanks for your encouragement!
Saturday, Chad was at the OSU-Michigan game. He took the camera with him, but was too afraid he’d lose it, so he didn’t take it into the stadium with him. He did take his phone though:
Not bad for a teeny phone photo.
Meredith came into town last night, and today we all went to Dan’s Dogs for lunch. I love DDs. And I love Heidi, and Cynthia, and Meredith, and Jordan.
Oh, and Ben has finally admitted that "Allyson, you’re the boss!" Emma just tells me, "Allyson, you’re a good mama!" I love it when three-year-olds say just the funniest, heart-melting things.
I am struggling this week with adjusting my expectations. We’re having lots of family here next week for Thanksgiving and various other parties and things, and I hate that I make it so hard. I want to be SO organized and SO together and have it all go SO smoothly that I end up exhausting myself and biting heads off the day-of because I’m so frazzled. It’s too early to clean, too early to start cooking, and so I just sit around planning and spinning my wheels with worry. So to prevent my normal holiday-grouch fest, I’m trying to change the emphasis in my heart. Instead of making it perfect, I need to make it wonderful. There’s a difference. Instead of trying to impress, I need to try to delight. Because none of this is about me, and I’m so excited to see my family, and I want to be a blessing to them. Why do I make this so complicated? Am I the only one who does this whole shooting one’s self in the foot thing?
And this is funny: Billy and Julie’s fat cat Rocky:
Today, Chad and I had the privilege of attending the wedding of one of the girls from our very first youth group in Mercer, PA. We were probably around 21, and Laura was around 14. A smart, quiet, deep person, Laura caught my attention right away. I started a Bible study with the high school girls that year, and Laura came every week. I loved getting to know her, and even after we left PA, Chad and I would run into her every year at the Yankee Peddler. Her best friend’s parents ran an artisan booth there, and she and Bethany would be running around in costume, with torcs around their necks and real swords swinging from their hips. So when we received a wedding invitation, we were very excited to return to Fellowship Community Church and reunite with old friends.
Here is the beautiful bride:
(and her new husband, Arthur, but who looks at the groom???)
Chad and Byron:
Last night we had our flock group get-together at the Prills. They have the CUTEST new puppy, which just sends our puppy-lust skyrocketing. Her name is Biscuit, she likes to jump and bite, but she’s smart and sweet and just so PUPPY.
I had Chad take a picture of all the women. Here we are looking cute:
And some of us looking normal:
That’s what it is, right? When the word is the same spelled forwards and backwards? I bring this up because I sat in a palindrome on Sunday. A kayak. Here, I’ll spell it backwards: kayak. I’ve always been a good speller. Linda asked me if I wanted to go after church, and at first I was kind of a weenie (it’s too cold, what if I get wet, wah wah wah). But she talked me into it.
It was perfect.
It was a perfect day for yard work. Sunny, not too windy, cold but not freezing–perfect. After we cleaned up the leaves, we had a little bit of fun jumping in them like eight-year-olds.
A look back at Halloween through the years:
That’s me with my brother about 13 years ago.
Sixth grade. I’m the gypsy.
My brother Jonathan, the vampire.
And my cousin Luke, Orco. Remember Orco? From He-man? It was a great costume!
I finally have real content on my photography website! With links that work! Yay for Mr. Chad, who spent a lot of time working on it for me.
www.allysonvollerphotography.com
I will probably be adding to it all week, including info about senior pictures and a Christmas card special.
On Monday nights, the Main Street Cafe in Medina has a great deal-purchase any beverage and you can order any of their burgers for FREE. These are big, fat, scrumptious burgers–usually they’re about $10. We go every couple of weeks with our friends and follow if up with Monday Night Football at the Mulligans. Yesterday was Billy’s birthday, so we took him to Main St (cheap date!) and had some yums. He’s making these faces on purpose.
My fabulous and sneaky friends all got together and bought me the flash I’ve been drooling over. It’s humbling to be loved like that, but I’m glad to have such wonderful people in my life. Thanks everyone!
My party was fantastic. And I am so tired this morning, it’s not even funny. Well, it is funny, but that’s only because everything is funny to me when I’m this tired.
More to come later!
On a side note, my sweet faithy sent me a CD by the Wailin’ Jennys that I’ve been wanting, and it’s unbelievably wonderful. Harmony orgy. Just so, so, so, so good! I HIGHLY recommend it. It’s called: 40 Days.
Today, Friday the 13th, is my 31st birthday. And I’m having a big, fat party tonight. A costume party. I even went so far as to threaten my guests that if they did not come in costume, one would be provided for them. BIlly and Chad very kindly modelled two of these alternative choices the other night.
I think that should make people want to come in their own costumes.
Oh, and it s-n-o-w-e-d yesterday! Happy birthday to me!
