Ketchup

Time to Ketchup, folks! Not necessarily in importance-order:

1. New baby grand! Yahooey! We thank the Lord for little Luke Earnest Risse, born on my little brother's 50th birthday (the 23rd)! Happy Birthday to both!

2. We're moving in 2 days! GAK! I have made my peace with this move, and I am EXCITED about our NEW (literally--we're the first ones to live in it!) apartment! It's a HUGE change for us. Minus 500 square feet, 5 acres, a donkey, and sheep. Cozy, I predict. But with a community room, a billiards room, and a fitness room, that should be just what we need. (Did I mention it's behind Wal-Mart? Can it get any better?) God is good!

3. Thank you for praying for me about the wedding. I lived! Except for a major meltdown at the end, when the you-know-whos took their time leaving, and I was shooting pics in 90+ weather with 90+ humidity, and the fact that I couldn't find my husband or my cameras when it was time to leave, I had a BALL and was so in my element! I only took 400 pics (whee!); 100+ with film and almost 300 candid digital (I love candids!). (That's for rehearsal, the rehearsal dinner, and the rest.) I wanted to be considerate and not shoot during the vows so as not to detract from the solemn occasion, but everyone else shooting made up for me and then some! (I tried.) So, I missed a few shots afterwards when we posed for the ceremony shots. The good news is I didn't walk out of my sandals when I walked backwards to catch everyone coming down from the front! Seems like during the ceremony everything happened on fast-forward. And I learned you can't take two pics at one time when they're happening in front of and behind you, as in the parents lighting the unity candle as others are coming in. At least I did get the couple lighting it! I do think, all in all, that the bride's parents will still love me when they get the pics. I was pleased with the group shots (and they were a BIG group!); I'd never used a tripod under pressure. It did its job--no blurry shots, but I hated using it. My dream is a camera with image stabilization--no more tripod! AND all the light I had (my bitty little flash on my camera) was ENOUGH! What a mercy! I was so concerned about that, as the light isn't the best there. God was good to me!

4. Baby Grand #13 is next! We find out the gender on the 10th--and I'm invited to the sonogram! How kind is that, Principessa!

5. Our pastor's sister-in-law and brother-in-law, their 2 girls, and our pastor's daughter are here from Germany! The daughter, beautiful girl, speaks perfect English with no accent! I am so enjoying her. And the others speak NO English, so it has been really fun getting to know them! They are all dear. I'm luring the girls with mini M&Ms. I think they like me. (Works for my baby grands, anyway.)

6. Got to go to Olahomika with two dear brothers to pick up a vehicle (yes, it was worth the trip for the car!). We had a blast. And we played spelling games for longer than we should have, I'm sure. My little brain was fried.

7. We got to talk to our Dan, the red-headed snippet! He was in a car wreck--a hit-and-run by a drunk 19 year-old. He was pedaling his pedicab (kinda like a rickshaw pulled by a bicycle) (yes, he has awesome calf muscles, biking around Austin!) when he got hit. God was so merciful to him! He has a lot of therapy to go through still; no biking, and difficulty walking; we were so relieved to get to FINALLY talk to him. How we continue to pray for our babies' salvation!

8. I'm about 2/3 done packing. I HATE the piddly stuff that's left at the end! I want to get a gigantic vacuum and just REMOVE it without messing with it! GRRR! But I am thankful for Princi's help, and for CC offering to watch my Miggy while Mommy helped me. The apartments have some GREAT incentives for moving in: free month's rent, rent reduced by $35 for the life of the lease (yippee!), AND free moving! They pay for the truck, and, get this!, you pack your boxes and they come get them, load them, and unload them! Sweet, sweet!

9. Our first grandson, Beans, started school today! Bittersweet. How I love that child! His mommy was very brave today, I think.

Sufficiente! (With an accent on the last "e.") I love you, whoever you are, reading my blog! Leave a comment and share the love. Nothing says love like commenting and Sonic ice.