November

As you can see, I am a bit behind again...
November.... hmmm... where do I begin? It was hectic, to say the least. My emotions ran the gamut and I believe I lost a couple years off of my life because of it.

Let's say that the whole of the month was pretty standard:
-Get up and go to work
-Hate work and count down how many days until the end of the year
-Hate work and count how many days until Mark and I leave for Jamaica
-Enjoy my weekends and dread Sunday night

Now... the last week and a half... not so standard...

The day before Thanksgiving it was gorgeous! It must have been one of the last beautiful days in November- warmish but not cold. Sunny, no clouds in sight. At the start of each school year we have Open House. We don't get paid for it, but as a trade off we get out at noon the day before Thanksgiving. I could not have been more excited! Thursday was Thanksgiving, Friday was Liz Collins' wedding (I shall get to that individually) and Saturday Mark and I were leaving for our delayed honeymoon in Jamaica!!

Otis, my pug, had been kept on lockdown in the house. So, I decided that because it was such a beautiful day I would take my puggy for a much deserved walk. He's such a spit fire! We rounded out the house as usual. Per the regular, once we rounded the corner, he did his business. Otis was in his harness- pugs can't wear regular collars because of their delicate respritory system. I bent down to pick up his leftovers, as a good dog owner should, and from a distance, I hear what sounds like Otis calling to me. I look over and there he is- a good ten feet away from me. I turned to look at his harness- he had gotten out without me realizing it.

I know... I know... just wait for it...

So the two lanes going south had seen his display of magic and had come to a stop- oh, did I forget to mention that this is a 4 lane busy street? He bolted across the 4 lanes of traffic. I was screaming for cars to stop, for Otis to stop, for the good Lord to help me out. When he did this, the people coming from the bank drive thru stopped and the the cars in one of the north bound lanes stopped. The only car that didn't stop because she didn't see what was going on ended up running Otis over.

He headed back towards me, with a big stupid smile on his face. I was screaming for him to stop, screaming for all lanes of traffic to stop... but apparently, the woman on the cell didn't hear, see, or notice anything out of the ordinary. He'd almost made it all the way back to me- but she got to him first.

I knew she hit him. I heard her hit him. He cried out like I had never heard an animal do before. I ran around to the other side of her car and there, under her tire, was his leg. Immediately I began yelling and hitting her car for her to move off of his leg. When she did, it was clear that this was a horrifying wound. She'd screached to a stop on his leg, thus shredding off his skin. The ankle bone was completely dislocated and both bones were sticking out of his leg. She'd taken off two of his nails and opened his leg completely. I picked up my dog and could do nothing but scream, cry, and panic. Now, I'm an emotional person, but I came completely undone with this. I picked up my dog and he was in total shock. He didn't cry, didn't panic. When he heard me carry on, I think he tried to comfort me- let me know he was ok- but other than that- he was quiet. The woman who ran over my dog gave me a ride to my house- just around the block (it was the least she could do). She didn't give me a name or a number. Just dropped me off and took off. Sure she cried and apologized... and I understand it was an accident... but come on... anyway....

Mark was supposed to go to the doctor that afternoon but had cancelled. Thank goodness. I came into the house screaming and crying. He came from the bedroom, saw the blood and meat on my coat, my hands, and then saw Otis' open, dangling leg, and immediatly shot into action. I could not even tell him what had happened- I was traumatized. We got to the animal hospital during lunch time. The doc had gone home and needed to be called in, along with the lab tech ( I didn't know that we had siestas when it comes to vetinary medicine). The guy couldn't have been any older than 27 or 28. He was telling us that Otis would need an orthopedic surgeon to fix his ankle and to make sure that no damage was done to his ligiments or tendens. But, other than a few scrapes and bruises (oh and the hair raising injury), there was nothing else wrong with him. So, $500 later, Mark and I refused to take him to a specialist and called our vet. He's the man! This guy lives and dies for animals. He never sleeps and is always ready to help and heal. He told us he'd been through this before many times and that he would take care of him.

I cried the whole way to our vet's office. Otis, by this time, was on pain killers, anti-anxiety meds, and antibiotics. He was in a twilight.

Dr. F took our boy and assured us that he would fix our dog.

We talked on Thanksgiving. I went to the office to visit him before going to the wedding. And my parents acted as our proxies while we were away. Every day my mother and I would email back and forth with regards for the dog, the weather (Negril 85, Chicago 12), and a general sense of relief. Otis would be fine. It would take up to nine months before he was completely healed, but he would be ok.

When we returned from Jamaica we picked our boy up and cuddled with him on the couch. We visited the doc two to three nights a week with one to two overnight visits. Three weeks later, the doc brought Otis out without any bandages on his leg and it was incredible. The big tear in his leg had still not healed (even at this moment, his leg is still swollen, filled with scar tissue, and is about the size of a quarter) but there were tiny red ribbons of scar tissue that had sealed the length of his leg and paw closed. His nails have just started to grow back and he is still limping. The doctor is sure that it won't take nine months for him to heal because he is a puppy and he is so strong willed (that's a nice way to say it).

But sometimes, I just think that if he'd gotten another three inches she would have killed him. That's what I think of when this boy is driving me crazy!! He's slowed down a bit- but you'd have no idea that almost 9 weeks ago he was in such an ugly accident.

Right now he's under the desk as I'm writing, chewing on his rawhide. Later, he'll snuggle up on the sofa and rest his head on my shoulder so we can watch tv together and Mark will laugh at the two of us. I'm grateful that we can still have these moments together. But we've all got the feeling that he's not done with giving us a run for our money just yet...

October

I've been away for a while and finally decided (with some "encouragement" from Michael) to get back on the blog wagon...

October was brilliant! I got married the 11th!!

The weather was spectacular! It was hovering around 80 degrees and we were sweating at times- thank you global warming! I could not have asked for more. The girls wore chocolate and copper and looked stunning. My bridesmaids were an unyielding form of support and we made it through with a few bumps- but no one came out worse for wear. The groomsmen were gentlemen (until they found out that there was a class reunion in another room and they pretended to be people they weren't).

The food was great- the flowers were spectacular- the cupcakes were awesome (no matter how rude the woman at the bakery was to me and my husband)- the music kicked ass!!

I would like to say at this point that it took me months to create the playlist- I left the dj and my guests very little wiggle room for requests... Everything from Justin Timberlake to Van Morrison, Barry White to Snoop and Dre, and Jackie Wilson to Bob Marley. My girls walked down the aisle to the strings rendition of Yellow by Coldplay and I came down to Truly, Madly, Deeply by Ray LaMontagne (get that ridiculous cheesy pop song by Savage Garden out of your head). Mark and I came back up the aisle to Is This Love by Bob Marley! Everyone who knew the song sang it. Our reverend, "Father Tom," as we called him, is actually the partner of my best friend, Michael. He went online and became a minister to preside over our ceremony. The belief was: keep it simple, keep it close with the people we love the most. Anyhow, Tommy came in to Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode; the bridal party came in to Beautiful Day by U2; Mark and I came in to I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash. We cut the cake to Everlong by the Foo Fighters and I danced with my father to The Way You Look Tonight by Tony Bennett. Our first dance was to Hold You in My Arms by Ray LaMontagne.

Let me not forget- when my father walked me down the aisle, before he gave me away, he sang me More I Cannot Wish You from Guys and Dolls the Musical. I had loved that song and he promised to sing it for me if ever I got married. He had been working on it, but I didn't push him. I figured if he would sing it, it'd be during the reception. My father, much to my surprise, turned to me and sang before he turned my hand over to Mark. At one point, toward the end of the song, he forgot the words. I joined in with him and we finished the song together. Not a dry eye in the house. I felt like the luckiest little girl in the world!

Amidst the crying there were laughs and playful banter at the gazebo (we were married outside). We laughed and cried and generally tumbled through with smiles and eye swipes.

A very dear friend of mine did the reading from Miss Spider's Wedding. There had to be a reading- but I didn't want anything boring or overused. So, I chose the book that I had read years prior. My mother remembers me telling her that that would be the book I'd choose the reading from- I think I was 17 or 18 when this was decided. However, I went through many poems and prose and scoured different websites for help with this reading. I kept going back to Miss Spider and decided that, indeed, that would be the reading. Mary came up with a foreword and made everyone smile with her lighthearted rendition.

My flowers were insanely beautiful! They were comprised of white freesia, champagne roses, bronze mums, copper seeded eucalyptus, and hypericum berries. The girls had bronze mums, cymbidium orchids, and hypericum berries. They were the most amazing things I'd ever seen and I kept them in my classroom until all of the heads fell off and my students strongly suggested that I either buy new ones or let the old ones go because they were "too dead." It broke my heart to give them over the the garbage can, but I will forever have the memory of those magnificent creations.

And, for those of you that truly know me, know that I had to grab the mic and sing some karaoke when the dj busted out Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. Someone snapped a shot of me singing and it is the most hilarious thing. I think that shot, perhaps above all else, demonstrates exactly how much fun I had. Some friends nominated me as "the bride that had the most fun at her wedding." I refused to be put off or disheartened by anything that day. My photographer had a headache, I offered up some crackers and 7up. My shoes were bothering me, I took them off. My lipstick and veil were stolen- (I have to admit that really sucked) but I got over it.

I could not have asked for more. What a Beautiful Day!!

The images came from another friend of mine- thank you, Donna!

Sarah and Mike

On Saturday August 30th, I was lucky enough to be granted entry into a very special day for Sarah Rigby and Mike Orcutt. Their wedding was something that centered on a love that is so obvious, it shines right through the photographs.

Sarah and her family were warm, welcoming, and hilarious! By the end of the first hour it had been as if we'd known each other for years. What an amazing group of women! The girls looked lovely in their simple but classy black dresses and Sarah looked stunning in her ivory gown. She kept it simple- ivory and black. Classic- just like her.

The day was gorgeous! Mike and Sarah are so clearly smitten with each other that every moment there was a smile or a loving glance.

What a first dance! The tenderest of moments were captured: his hand brushing the hair out of her face, her head thrown back with laughter at a private moment they shared during the first dance, the sneaky smile she gave him when they locked hands for the last time they would touch before becoming man and wife, and so many more.

It was my extreme pleasure to play the part of historian for these amazing people who will have the loveliest of happily ever afters...

Sarah Grace

A little over a week ago I went to a friend's house to take some shots of her daughter, Sarah Grace, who was just over 18 months old. Anna, Sarah's mom, warned me that I better eat my Wheaties because Sarah was going to be a tough nut to crack.

"Ha!" I thought. "Children love me! I'm charming and funny!" and off I went.

Well, Sarah Grace took one look at me and was quite wary. Perhaps she believed her mother was leaving her alone with this stranger who had crazy hair and was trying to get her to smile. Sarah Grace was having NONE of me!

She cried and clung to Anna but soon she started to realize her mom was not leaving her and therefore she started to open up to me. Sarah began to show me her toys, the fact that she could walk on the couch, hug her dog Bella, and give Bella treats. We were laughing and taking pictures and she was pleased to see how pretty she looked on the screen of the camera.

When she opened up to me she was nothing but smiles and dimples. Her beautiful creamy skin, bright blue eyes, and blonde curled hair was just darling! After playing for almost an hour she showed me her bedroom, the bathroom, her hat, and her mad phone skills! She was hilarious! I'm glad that we got along so well- the photos show that!

It was my pleasure to photograph Sarah Grace- what a character she is under that coy exterior!!

Thanks Anna for trusting me with your most darling daughter!!

Wedding Shoes or Wedding Blues....

Well, here I am less than two months until the wedding and I have hit a wall. I figured shoes wouldn't be a problem to find. Everything else was a breeze- the dress, the tuxes, the place, the invites, the cake... all of if fell right into place. Shoes... why wouldn't they be easy to find?

Clearly, no one let me in on this little secret- they are a pain in the tush. The dress needs to be altered and I cannot do anything about it until I find shoes. And I can't find shoes. So, perhaps I will just go down the aisle barefoot.

Here's the problem: Mark and I are the same height, so I cannot wear heels (and not that I do anyway- but that option for a heel doesn't exist). Next, the dress is champagne and ivory and finding a pair of shoes to match is difficult. Furthermore, I am looking for something so specific that I don't think it exists. The treatment, I need to get over myself. My mother (and I'm sure everyone else is thinking this but are being very polite about not saying it) believes I am overthinking everything.

Who knew the details were problem?

I've included some pics of shoes that I love... but they aren't in my size. Some are peculiar and unexpected, but I think that's what I love about them!!

Let me know your thoughts!

Madeline Rose Donnelly-Reed

My sister, Kate, had her first baby on Sunday July 13th at 4:08 a.m. My mother, father, and I were with Kate and her husband Jim for this wonderous occassion! (However, my father and I were booted during the actual labor- which I truly believe was the best for everyone.)

Madeline Rose weighed in at 6 lb. 7 oz. and measured in at 20 inches long. What a sight for sore eyes she was! It was as if she was singing instead of crying- a whole lot of ah-ah-ahs... instead of yelping. She was alert and knew her mom and dad immediately! Every single person in that room (including the nurse who delivered her) was stricken with how lovely she was.

What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday night!

Welcome to the world Maddy!

Love,

Aunty Sarah

Andrew and Audrey

On Saturday afternoon, I took a drive out to a friend's house to take some snaps of her children. Lisa, a friend of my friend, came into town and wanted her kids photos taken as well. How could I resist? These kids are knockouts! We played and worked for a couple of hours.

My friend, Nadine, has three children under 3 and her friend,


Lisa, has two. So, with four mobile children (Ben was sound asleep in his baby chair) it was interesting to see how little they cared about me, my camera, and the fact that their mothers wanted great shots of them. They instead, as most children would, preferred to play!

All of the children were darling and absolutely photogenic!

I've only just finished with Andrew and Audrey photos.