Brittany's wedding.

This is a nice one to start with. Obviously it is the kiss. It was such a beautiful ceremony.

Bishop Hughes was wonderful. Notice how Tyler is back some. He kept slowly edging backwards and Bishop Hughes called him on it.

Tyler as a flower girl. Brittany made the basket for her, and she loved walking up the aisle tossing rose petals.

I can't believe that my little girl is all grown up.

I think Bill looks very dashing in his new suit.

The Guys

Enos is saved!!

I couldn't do it. I told myself when the weekend came, Enos was being set free. And I couldn't do it. The only reason I was planning on dumping her was her eggs. I DO NOT want little bugs all over. Covered this in a previous post. So, I paid Cory to take the whole thing outside, put Enos in something and clean out the cage. Instead, as he was dipping the net to catch Enos, he hit the sac and it dropped right into the net. He tossed it out on the ground where Hunter obligingly stepped on it. Eww.

So, I don't have to throw a spoiled pet out into the elements. Relief. :D

4:00 am

I woke with a huge crick in my neck. My pillows were standing straight up, and my head was at an uncomfortable angle. I fixed it, and as I was dropping back to sleep, wedding stuff invaded my brain. The big one: Did we get a pianist?? Oh, my stars! How can we have a wedding with no one to play the prelude, or the processional. Do I know anyone who can do that at a moments notice?? How did something so important slip thru the cracks?? There is a scream echoing thru my head right now...

Sometime...this weekend..

So, here is Enos. And HER egg sac. Yikes. I didn't mind having a praying mantis on my desk, swiveling his head to watch me. I didn't mind hitting up Petco every few weeks for more live crickets to feed him. I did mind feeding him, and made the boys do it. :D But, when this egg sac appeared, and the vents on the top of the cage all the sudden looked huge and unable to hold back the deluge of baby mantes, and I pictured my house overrun with little green bugs, I MINDED.

The plan is to release Enos into the wild, also known as the backyard, one day this weekend. Yes, there is guilt. Have I made life too easy for this bug?? I was so thrilled when he grew from 3/4 of an inch to well over three inches long. It gives one a sense of fulfillment when your child/dog/cat/bug survive your care. He(she) is used to Manna from Heaven, or crickets dropped out of a plastic bag. Out in the yard will he be able to find food, and take care of himself?? I start to worry and get tempted to keep him, and then I see that huge, volkswagen sized egg sac, and my determination is back. Of course the sac has been there for a week now, so what am I waiting for?? I don't know.

Tomorrow is the big day!! (Does it say something about me and my priorities when I talk about bug guilt before my oldest daughter's wedding??) Brittany has put so much time and effort into this wedding. My friend reminded her that she was the bride...not the scullery maid. But, Brittany wanted things done just so...and I let her. :D I will post pics. I wanted to get pics of the set up today, but I just went to the church after getting Chan from school, and forgot the camera at home. Tomorrow I will not forget it.

I can't get it out of my head.

My child screaming in terror. The replay woke me up at three am today. Not the fun terror scream that she does on Tower of Terror, but the blood chilling scream of her thinking her life is ending. It is horrible. It is a snapshot of a moment I think will take me a long time to stop replaying over and over.

For lunch yesterday, we both wanted the leftover chicken thighs. There were only four left in the bag, perfect for two of us. These are my favorite boneless skinless thighs. The oh so versatile ones. Yum. I heated the pan, sprayed the nonstick spray, and Reba started to sing. Who would be calling at lunchtime?? With five kids....LOL. So, without thinking, I went to the desk to answer it. I came back, and the pan was smoking. Here is where I totally act like an idiot. Or maybe it was leaving the pan to heat while I left the room?? Anyway, pan smoking, and instead of turning it off to cool down, I throw the fatty, frozen thighs right in. And yep, they went up in flames. Since there was a heat source, lots of fat, and plenty of oxygen in the room, the flames were well fed. Ugh. I almost panicked, and was looking for water to douse it with. Thank goodness for the love of my Heavenly Father, for almost immediately, I saw replayed in my mind, a PSA on grease fires. I saw the fire go across the ceiling, and burn the whole kitchen down. Scary. So, instead I looked for the lid to the pan, to suffocate the fire. In my quick search, I couldn't find it, but I found the cookie sheet and threw it on the pan. Success. Iam not a clear thinker in stressful situations, so I am grateful I was not alone, and I felt the calming love He has for me.

Meanwhile, during all this (which I guess lasted a good 10 seconds or so) Tyler is in the corner of the kitchen, with her hands over her face, and just screaming. It was so heartwrenching. As soon as it was safe, I grabbed her up and we went into the living room. She was shaking she was so scared.

But, I keep seeing her in that corner, in abject terror. My poor baby.