A few pics from the wedding. (my girls are so lovely.)

I don't even know my last name!

Today, I woke up

thinkin' about Elvis somewhere in Vegas

I'm not sure how I got here

Or how this ring on my left hand just appeared

out of nowhere

I gotta go

I take the chips and the Pinto and hit the road

They say what happens here stays here

All of this will disappear

There's just one little problem...

I don't even know my last name!

Thanks, Carrie Underwood. I don't even know my last name...LOL. Mrs. Boyd, wait that's Mr. Chad's mom...No, that's probably Mr.Chad's dad's dad's MOM...LOL...so who am I?...LOL. I know I'm Christy Buettner Boyd now, but it still hasn't kicked in, yet. You know what I'm saying? I mean, come on...how many times have you written the old year on checks for the first month of the new year?

I LOVE my new last name and have had such an internal, mental war with myself over the whole changing it thing...LOL. The positive is that everyone can pronounce it...the negative is that it's different than my girls. So, I will keep them both, but use Buettner as my middle name. Easy enough, right?

Not so much...LOL...LOL!

I'll keep trying, though...and before long, I'll have it down...

Christy Buettner Boyd
Christy Buettner Boyd
Christy Buettner Boyd
Christy Buettner Boyd

Another Wedding...and so soon?...LOL

Well, it happened...one week to the day, Mary and JD were married in Winchester. It was a very...let's see how do i say it...very....uuhhmmm...very, SHORT ceremony...LOL. Lovely, but short...LOL. I must confess I knew this going into their blissful day, but thought Mary was kidding when she said that it was 8 minutes long...SHE DIDN'T LIE. In fact, Catarina recorded it and it took 8 minutes and 57 seconds...start to finish...LOL.

They were both so beautiful, ( I would have said handsome for JD, but , he probably prefers to be called beautiful...LOL) but Mary looked way more nervous. The best part of the whole ceremony was the first time the preacher called them by their full names...Mary and Joseph. Yes, it's been funny for months b/c of the invitations, but when he said it...the girls looked over at me and grinned from ear to ear. Mr. Chad even piped in and said, "Someone should have had a donkey with cans tied on it's tail out front waiting for them"...LOL.

The reception was loads of fun, but we tried staying out of their way. I think we were suppose to dance before we left, but left before we had a chance...Darn it...LOL. It was great to see a lot of their family there. Mary seemed very happy about it all. JD's sister and husband were very good about hostessing everything. They make a really, cute couple and stayed very involved all day...ie. passing out the toast glasses, bubbles, etc. Mr. Chad said that JD's sister, Sarah, looked like Pam from the Office...wish he hadn't said that b/c then I starting trying to find Michael, Dwayne, and Jim. However, found no one else from Dunder-Mifflin...and that was a good thing...LOL.

Anyway, I think the 2 of them make a great couple and they are truly some of the most wonderful people that I have ever met...friends for life.

Congrats, Mary and Joseph.

Thanks for sharing your day with me and my family.

Signing out from the Hundred Acre Woods,

Mrs.Christy Buettner Boyd

...all that's left is a band of (white) gold

PWD...post-wedding depression...LOL. Yeah, I got it. I woke up Sunday not knowing what to do with myself. There was nothing to plan, nothing to write in my handy-dandy notebook, absolutely nothing to do!!! I mean, Monday was another story...linens to return, cake stand to take back, final payment on the reception...LOL, but the "day after" the wedding...truly, felt like the day after...

I don't want to weird people out about marriage, but I did NOT feel any different. As we were going to sleep, Mr. Chad said, "goodnight, wife", but my heart did not leap out of my throat or anything like that...I guess those could have been butterflies in my stomach...I thought I was just nauseated...LOL. I have felt like his wife for so long that marriage to me was simply "legal" paperwork, or the day I would became eligible for medical insurance...LOL.

Don't get me wrong, either...I'm not unhappy or regretting my decision. I just thought--maybe--there would be a tad more mental fanfare...LOL. I thought--maybe--he would look more "googly-eyed" at me. I thought--maybe--a jazz band would play in my head every time he came around me. Nope. It was just another day in the life of Christy and Mr. Chad...LOL, and isn't that what marriage is?...just another day of living, breathing and being for someone else, yet not forgetting who you are and inviting them to share the experience with you.

All I can say, is that I have struggled to find happiness and inner peace for soooo long that I have failed to enjoy my life's ride, at times, and that from this day forward...I plan to be just as happy being in the passenger seat as I am at hogging the wheel.

Sincerely,
Christy Buettner Boyd...
****Not sure how to end my posts now??? Any suggestions??? I'm certainly not going to do Sincerely...LOL...and the count down is over...LOL. What do y'all think?

ONE Little Church

A Morning Prayer in a Little Church, by Helen Hayes



"And then, much later, I discovered that it had happened, right there in the church. I could recall, vividly, one by one, the people I had seen there—the solemn laborers with tired looks, the old women with gnarled hands. Life had knocked them around, but for a brief moment they were being refreshed by an ennobling experience. It seemed as they prayed, their worn faces lighted up and they became the very vessels of God. Here was my revelation. Suddenly I realized I was one of them. In my need I gained strength from the knowledge that they too had needs, and I felt an interdependence with them. I experienced a flood of compassion for people."

It takes 2 to make a thing go right...?

Are those even the lyrics to that Rob Base song? Regardless, wasn't sure what I wanted to blog about today...

I could take the Aristotle approach...2 souls in one body...or the biblical approach...2 by 2...my marital experience...marriage, part II...the literary approach...Tale of 2 Cities...a career approach...2 weeks notice... a sports approach...2 strikes...or the mechanical approach...2-stroke engines...LOL.

OK, now I'm grasping...LOL, but with everything down to the wire...my mind is stirring with anticipation beyond measure. In fact, I've limited my speech b/c my train of thought is going so fast...get this...my mouth can't keep up. Go ahead, I hear y'all laughing right now.

The problem is...I am scared. There, I said it. I am scared about making this commitment. I am not scared about the mate I've picked. I am scared at failing him, or me for that matter. I ALWAYS said that if my first marriage failed (and we all know it did...LOL), I would NEVER...NEVER...NEVER do it again...Yet, here I am.

Although, Mr. Chad and I have been together for many years...I can't help but worry that I will one day forget his "kind" of food at the grocery, or that he does not like scary, squeamish films, or that he loved to play Yahtzee with his Mamaw V. I have never been so nervous in all my life. I am here at that place in my life that I have yearned for in my dreams and now...now, I want to run. Is that normal?

Nah, it's not normal, but neither am I...LOL. Due to unforeseen genetic make-up,...I have always been a runner. Let it go or get going--whichever is easier, but now I will make a conscious choice to not run...to plant my feet firmly on the ground and say, "Mr. Chad, I'm ready to stick this out and I'll stand by you--FOREVER." That's all I can do. I hope it's enough for him...for me...for us.

2,1...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

The Triple Crown

Over the years, Mr. Chad and I have placed many bets, mainly on the ponies...LOL, but now here we are, taking the biggest gamble of our lives...marriage! Stats are not good on the probability of marital success...not to mention actual marital bliss...LOL. Nevertheless, the race is on...LOL.

Over the past few months, I've tried to cover everything in my blog, about wedding plans, marital worries, and the best laid plans for a successful marriage, but in 3 days will any of it matter? In 3 days, I will pledge my undying and everlasting love to Mr. Chad and no one will care if the pew bows came out with 8 loops or 10...LOL.

I would like to think of our marriage as maybe, a horse race...off with a bang, pushing ahead, trotting a bit, and then beating the odds and coming out a winner. We all know life is not a horse race, though. When you love someone...sometimes you gamble, but you have to know what the stakes are in the beginning and know that there are sacrifices that may lie ahead. It took me years to figure out how to bet, but I am very cautious with my "betting" money(...knocked me out of 8k, once...but I survived. You can't lose what you don't have, you can only lose what you do...LOL.)

In 3 days, I will marry the man of my dreams, start a beautiful new chapter in my life with my girls and Mr. Chad, and continue to build a home for those that I love most in this world...I may not be great at betting...or winning...LOL, but I would say that sounds like a Triple Crown win to me.

3,2,1...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

The Fantastic Four

Mr. Chad, Catarina, Claudia, and me...

We've been together for so long(5 years), but we are now approaching a new adventure, a new fork in the road per se...LOL. Mr. Chad will fill an "official" position in our little family now.

What shall we call him?

The girls call their dad's wife and little sister's mom, Mama B. I am perfectly fine with that...we all know our boundaries in this weirdness that is divorced parenting...and Ms. Trish, "Mama B" is super. Personally, I call her friend. In fact, she is really great at being who she is and I never use the term "step", b/c that seems so disrespectful.

So, what shall we call Mr. Chad? Nothing with "dad" in it...nothing with "pops" attached and certainly not Pepsi...LOL...that one is already taken. (My friend JJ at work...her nephew calls his mother's husband that. See, they married when he was young and when the nephew asked what he should call him, he said that he didn't care...so from that day on...he was Pepsi...still calls him that to this day...LOL.)

The girls seemed to like Daddy B. I nipped that in the bud. (Charles, you can thank me for that later. **No matter how secure we feel about our parenting skills, mommy & daddy are reserved for the 2 people that bring you into this world.) I thought about Mr.C, but that seemed way to Happy Days-ish. If I could pick a name for Mr.Chad...it would be Mr. Fantastic...b/c he is. He loves the girls and would do anything for them. In the end though, the name that best suits him is...Mr. Chad, and for a very simple reason...You should never try to fix things that aren't broken.

4,3,2,1...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

The 5 people you meet in Heaven.

You always save the best for last and now is no different. If I was told I could pick ONE person that I would be guaranteed to see in Heaven...I would chose my "french fry",C2. Not just b/c she is perfect, but she and I are soooo much alike, in soooo many ways, it seems that we were separated at birth. I would lay down my life for her.

When she and I are together, or talk on the phone, or write letters...there is one thinig I can promise you...LAUGHTER. We always pick up right where we left off, no matter the time between visits.

Before people start freaking out...I did not pick my children b/c there are 2, I said 1. I did not pick Mr. Chad b/c I did say Heaven...LOL.(He believes in God, just don't see him buying that streets of gold story and now is not the time for that argument.) I, also, did not pick my Granny Ed b/c she was such an angel that I'd never be able to get close enough to see her.

I wish that over the course of events that have lead up to my "union", that she could have been more involved...but neither of us saw the lives that we are currently living in our present or future...LOL. No, they are not bad lives...just unexpected life adventures. :o)

Here's the funny part...not just that Heaven would not be perfect without her, but I would be incomplete without her. We tell our kids we have to have husbands b/c the state of Kentucky does not yet recognize "same-sex" unions...LOL. ( I mean that in jest...her ex-husband-to-be may try to use that against her in the divorce...LOL...I laugh, but it's true.)

I don't want to go on and on about how she is the VERY best friend in the world, but I would like to go on record saying...she is one of the most wonderful people that I have ever known and that my life on Earth would not be the same had I not met her. (ILY C2)

5,4,3,2,1...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

6-Pack...Love Will Turn You Around.

Everyone thought I was going in a different direction, didn't they?...LOL

This is one of mine and Mr. Chad's favorite movies(is that grammatically correct?)...I have, also, heard it was the downfall of Kenny's acting career. Well, the Gambler was never really an actor to me...he was a singer--acting...LOL.

The theme song of the movie was Love will turn you around...and that is so true. I always feel lost when it comes to feelings, or how I should show or share them. My mother says that I never show enough, My girls act like I show too much, but Mr. Chad...well, he fits me like little Bear's porridge and bed to Goldilocks, he says that I'm "just right", and I hope, I'm fair and balanced on this feelings issue...LOL.

I try to let him know how much I love him, but words are never enough...will they ever be?...LOL. This is the person that will (allegedly...LOL) love me when my parents are not around, when my kids have moved on, and my friends no longer like me. Isn't that a big order to expect from a man who, before me, thought life was all about Bud Light, ballgames, and MMORPGs. (yeah, how you like them apples, Mr.Chad?...LOL, OK, someone at work gave me those initials.)

What I'm trying to say is, I guess Love does turn you around. The path you think you need to go down is not always the path for you. Remember that road less travelled thing you read in high school...one day it makes sense. :o)

6,5,4,3,2...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

It's been 1 week since you looked at me...

Mr. Chad and I finished our wedding announcement and it went to our local papers a few days ago. I think it was pretty good, and our last names aren't weird together...LOL, so we should be fine. Of course, the more I read it after I sent it...the more I thought I could have improved it.

I LOVE the pic of us. We look so happy in it. Neither of us are supermodels, but we looked very "Brangelina-ish" (my new word for content...LOL).

7,6,5,4,3...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

2,4,6,8...Who do we appreciate?

Today is dedicated to those that have agreed to services pertaining to our wedding, we want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
:o) Mr. Chad and I soooo appreciate you and your kindness.

Zach Sandlin, Amanda Compton, and Cora Jordan for photographs. Also, Cora will be shooting video, as well. (http://www.corazzone.com/)

My Sis, Sarah Lee, for singing one of the greatest gospel songs of all time. (It always reminds me of my granny b/c she LOVED to hear her sing it.) Also, her little sister, Stefani, who will tend to the guestbook and Lord knows, what I'll end up asking Eddie to do...but whatever it is...no doubt, he will.

Verlissa, who will be tying pew bows until the cows come home and then pretty-fying everything at the church and at PMG.

Clay, who is the unofficial AVT guy. (Although, there is no visual...just audio...LOL.)

Brother Codell, our minister--who's known me since i was 12/13 years old. He is such a great guy and very laid back in the biblical sense...which is wonderful for Mr. Chad b/c if it gets too "hoity-toity"...he would get nervous...LOL, and I don't want it to be that kind of ceremony.


Randy Stanley, who I can only say fulfilled my wedding wish and saved the day, but I do not want to say what he is doing yet...so not to ruin the surprise.

I could go on and on about our families right now, but I want to save all that for after the wedding. I want to dedicate a page to each of them, so that I can show off their beauty and talents. But, for today, just a little thanks to all of the rest of y'all.

8,7,6,5,4,...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

9 Chickweed Lane

So...what did I say about numbers ending in 9...LOL? Well, here I am at the actual 9...and my stomach aches, my mouth hurts, I'm loosing precious hours of sleep...and i feel fine...Leonard Bernstein...Sorry, I lost it for a minute. I am ready for marriage at this point, but not sure I can say the same about being ready for this wedding...LOL.

On to the real subject at hand, we all know, that I "google" sometimes to get an idea about what to blog about in regards to the day's number. Well, the darnedest thing happened today. I came across the neatest comic strip. 9 Chickweed Lane. You can find it at http://www.comics.com/

However, I followed a link to the artist's blog (http://officialpibgorn.livejournal.com/) I have now read everything I can find on it! It is so educated-funny and so far from my life, but I see a little of myself in EVERY character. (Just as in real life, you will LOVE the granny...LOL...trust me.)

I saw the beautiful sketch above on his blog and decided it couldn't hurt to ask if I could post it and about him here. Never got around to asking about making it the cover of the wedding program, but that's ok...LOL. I love the raw sketch-form of the picture. Anyway, I emailed him and he responded very quickly and said "yes"...LOL...I got so involved with his comics, and writing, and sketches that I even read about his gallbladder surgery...LOL. My point is, how wonderful when people in our day to day world, stop and talk to those they affect or entertain, but will never know. His note:

Yes, you may certainly post the picture. If you don't mind, could you also notate that it is the sketch for the final drawing in my most recent book, "Pibgorn Rep: A Midsummer Night's Dream"? It actually depicts Oberan carrying Robin Goodfellow (who is, in my book, female) away, to her unbridled joy.

All best wishes.

Brooke McEldowney

That's it! That's why I love that picture. I knew what Mr. McEldowney was saying in that sketch without any explanation. I mean, ...Mr. Chad may can't carry me away, but we are headed towards what we hope to be our unbridled joy...and we couldn't be happier.

9,8,7,6,5...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

Judges, It's time to reveal your scores...10,10,10.

The first dance is planned...something uneventful but meaningful to "our song"...No, not the Taylor Swift little number, but "OUR" song...LOL.

I'm a tad disgusted about all of this. I wanted a big number with costume changes and lights and a montage of songs...but it's looking like maybe a small little production that may get one or 2 hits on You Tube...LOL. I just can't find time to get it all done.

I just dread doing the electric slide (boogie woogie woogie)...and Lord knows what else is out there these days. My girls said that we had to do the Soulja Boy. I'm aware of it, but not sure it's as easy as the Macarena...LOL. I'm getting old, people.

I wonder if I could get Mr. Chad to come and grab me and say..."No one puts, Baby, in the corner."...LOL.

Mr. Chad has no desire to dance and unless it's slow...it's unlikely he will...well, after a 12 pack he may be inclined to do "the Rilo"...so I have to keep my eye on him...b/c YOU do NOT want to see "the Rilo"...LOL. Of course, the thought of him doing the Soulja Boy brings a chuckle, too. It's as much his day as it is mine, so he can do whatever he wants to do...including the Soulja Boy...LOL... 'cause I know I'm shakin' my groove thang. Sorry, Len.

Soulja Boy Off In This Hoe
Watch me Crank It
Watch me Roll
Watch me Crank Dat Soulja Boy
Then Super Man Dat Hoe
Now, Watch me You...(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)
Now, Watch me You...(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)
Now, Watch me You...(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)
Now, Watch me You...(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)

10,9,8,7,6...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

The 11th Hour

Looks like a mess doesn't it?...LOL. I can't look without crying...LOL. Most of you, ...probably none of you have a clue as to what or where this is? I won't lie. I had no idea. This is the front of Casa di Giulietta. You still don't know do you?...It's the house of Juliet in Verona, Italy. Yes, that Juliet...the girl of Romeo's dreams...and it's where my "this is the man for me" moment begins today.

I got my new engagement ring and my proposal, though not the one planned according to Mr. Chad...I will try to put the story in written word, but could never do it justice...no matter how hard I try. Here it goes...

For weeks the letter, returned from the post office, stayed at the bottom of the stairs. Lonely. I felt like Lot's wife when I passed it and was scared to turn it over for fear of what I might find. So, I never did...until yesterday. The stairs were crammed with a plethora of who knows what. I made an attempt to straighten them and streamline the items there. I saw the envelope and as I went to move it...it fell and landed addressed side up...so, I looked. Casa di Giulietta Verona, Italy

I was stunned. What the heck? I admit, I was somewhat disappointed. I knew he had been trying to get a letter to Italy, but assumed it was going to the Pope for a blessing. Anyway, I knew what Casa meant, but who the heck were the Giulietta's...LOL? I placed the letter back on the stairs.

A few hours later I stopped by to see Mr. Chad on my way to meet with the caterers. I told him I had seen the envelope.He hands me a check to pay for some things and says...I'm sorry it's not going to happen. My heart stopped. (Everybody knows that we didn't get married last year after planning a wedding and those words pierced my heart.) I simply replied, "what?".

Life started in slow-motion. Colbie Caillat starts singing in the background, Take time to realize, and I loathe, for lack of better words, and against my own Psycho-babble BS that I feed my kids, I HATE that song! That your warmth is. Crashing down on in. Then he starts.

I love you and wanted to give you the best proposal I could. I love you and want you to be my wife. I have tried to get a letter to Juliet's House. You know, from Romeo and Juliet?...for your proposal. See people post love notes and write on the walls to their loved ones.

Take time to realize,That I am on your side . (His eyes get watery...and I can feel mine doing the same.) I sent a note to you asking you to be my wife and wanted them to put it on the wall and take a picture for you b/c I can not take you to Verona (nor would he even fly there with me, folks...LOL) Didn't I, Didn't I tell you.But I can't spell it out for you, Will you be my wife?

No it's never gonna be that simple No I cant spell it out for you...

If you just realize what I just realized, Then we'd be perfect for each other And will never find another Just realized what I just realized We'd never have to wonder i f We missed out on each other now.

Then it happened. the perfect moment in time...the perfect words said. I watched a tear fall from his eye and I was gone. I told him how I loved him like no other man in this world. Time was stopping altogether and I couldn't get the words out..."You're the man of my dreams...my best friend...the father of my future son..the person I want to fall asleep with EVERY night"...I couldn't get it out though, so I sat there and cried and we hugged and it was settled.

Take time to realize This all can pass you by..

Didn't I tell you

It's not always the same

No it's never the same

If you don't feel it to.

If you meet me half way

If you would meet me half way.

It could be the same for you.

I got my ring that evening, standing in his parents living room, preparing to go and water the tommy-toes...LOL.

Just realized what I just realized

We'd never have to wonder

BTW, did I tell you about my "new" favorite song?...LOL

11,10,9,8,7...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

12...one dozen

Here it comes... Marriage is putting all your eggs in one basket...LOL. I know, corny, right?...but very true. It is that moment in your life when you find the one person that convinces you that they are the "end all/be all"...LOL.

With 12 days to go, I am there. ( LOL...I have been for a while.) However, I want to tell you about the most current "this is the man for me" moment...b/c I have had 2 of those in the last 2 days...LOL. Today will be about one of them and I'll share the other with you in the next post.

Mr. Chad was saddened that I didn't bring the girls with me when I went home on Sunday night. I don't know why it surprised me, but it did. After 5 years, I guess I could assume he loves them like his own. I know he says that all the time and I think he does, but this time it was very different. I could see the sadness and disappointment. Does it make sense if I say that it made me happy that he was sad? Happy and grateful in a way that you feel when you've just dodged a turtle in the road. It seems like something so small but the value in it is immeasurable.

I am reminded of that quote about families from Lilo and Stitch, " This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It is little, and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good. "...dang, I'm crying again...LOL. I will never make it through another pregnancy...LOL...heck, this wedding blog is draining me.

I am so blessed. I feel good about the changes occurring. I am ready to start a new chapter of my life where there is more than 1 main character...where there is foreshadowing, and suspense, and conflict...and in the end a little resolution. I am ready.

Once upon a time....life.......more living............they lived happily ever after. The End...or better still,...The Beginning.

12,11,10,9,8...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

Lucky 13

13 of us...

Bride:me (1)
Groom: Mr. Chad(2)
Best man: dad of Mr. Chad(3)
Groomsmen: cousin of Mr. Chad(4)
brother of me(5)
other brother of me(6)
Usher: son of C2(7)
Maid of Honor: eldest daughter of me(8)
Matron of Honor: Be Fri St End, C2(9)
Bridesmaid: wife of brother of me(10)
Junior Bridesmaids: youngest child of me(11)
daughter of C2(12)
Flower girl: lil' cousin of Mr. Chad(13)


I laugh about the above picture...I would LOVE for the day's pics (with the wedding party) to look like this, but I'm kinda picturing things from that new CMT show My Big Redneck Wedding. I have to laugh or I will cry thinking about it...LOL.

Actually, I can't wait to see Mr. Chad all dressed up...or his dad, for that matter. I want lots of pics of the 2 of them together. My brother got married a year and a half ago, so I've seen my family dressed up recently. I have seen them dressed up several times come to think of it...LOL, but this time is more special...it's MY wedding...LOL. (My little brother had a beautiful wedding and I love him and his wife...so no disrespect, Little Bro...LOL.)

Have to remember to take lots of pics of me with my girls, too. I have oodles of them, but I'm normally the photog, and if I'm in the pic...it looks like we're either aliens or posing for Myspace...LOL. And...if you know me, every event is all about the pictures. Why? Everyone in unison...for my scrapbook. :o)

13,12,11,10,9...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

14 days (or 2 weeks...LOL)

Ok, so we all know I fell off the diet wagon...I am heavier now than I have ever been...and It's really too late to do anything about it before the wedding. I take full responsibility for that...LOL. I guess, I will just have to focus on my tan, hair, make-up and every fat girl's downfall...shoes.

I don't know this girl...
---->>>>
but I envision looking like this on my "big day". It's kind of funny, b/c I am rather opposite of her. I have Kendra-(Girls Next Door)blonde hair, a chubby face, and pencil thin lips...since I am not a magician, I am going to have to leave myself in the hands of Tosha, my hairdresser, who actually follows this blog daily. In fact, frets if there is a lapse in posts...LOL.

It almost angers me that I did not get back into shape. After the wedding, when I can focus on something else...LOL, like the house...I will not diet then either, but focus more on health and beauty. The girls will get out and walk with me, but I'm going to have to try and do something with Mr. Chad, too. :o)

Well, the good news is my photogs are good with editing...the bad news, well...there is no bad news...beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and if he loves me now, he'll be crazy over me when I'm thinner...I mean, healthier...LOL.

14,13,12,11,10...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

Fifteen...

Fifteen
William Stafford

South of the Bridge on Seventeenth

I found back of the willows one summer

day a motorcycle with engine running

as it lay on its side, ticking over

slowly in the high grass. I was fifteen.

I admired all that pulsing gleam, the

shiny flanks, the demure headlights

fringed where it lay; I led it gently

to the road and stood with that

companion, ready and friendly. I was fifteen.

We could find the end of a road, meet

the sky on out Seventeenth. I thought about

hills, and patting the handle got back a

confident opinion. On the bridge we indulged

a forward feeling, a tremble. I was fifteen.

Thinking, back farther in the grass I found

the owner, just coming to, where he had flipped

over the rail. He had blood on his hand, was pale—

I helped him walk to his machine. He ran his hand

over it, called me a good man, roared away.

I stood there, fifteen.

_________________________________

Do you remember being fifteen? When marriage and weddings seemed so far away? A time when you felt awkward just taking a shower...LOL. I'm always talking about time slipping away and I have a 15 year old that I just can't get enough of...She is in this awkward stage...not a girl, not yet a woman...but such a lady.

Aside from the craziness that is this age, she is so grounded and, might I add, perfect...LOL. I have to thank her Dad for some of this, but she was different from the beginning. I watch her with her little sister and have to turn my head so that she does not see me cry (like I am right now just thinking about it...LOL). I am so happy when my girls are around and I love them the same, but differently...but I have so much faith in Catarina. She really is a godsend. Something great awaits her, and I enjoy watching her change...while we wait.

15,14,13,12,11...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

Sixteen Candles...or 125...LOL.

So I was set on coffee mugs as favors, but my mom just found a great place where you can buy large candles for next to nothing. No, they are not Yankee, and not really quite the caliber of Yankee, but they are nice and the scent stays for a long time. Yet, I would want to box them with a ribbon around them like above, and that would make the presentation more than the favor...LOL...but that would be a "me" thing to do...LOL.

Today is a high stress day, just trying to finalize all those last minute plans...LOL. I want to have it all covered and figured out by Saturday-the 2 week mark. I, also, wanted to do as much as possible before the girls arrived, but I'm too late...They will be here today.

Once they get here, I will lose all sense of time and things will fall to pieces b/c I have missed them so much that I just want to lay around and do nothing with them...LOL...and that's probably what I'll do...candles and coffee mugs will have to wait until next week.

16,15,14,13,12...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

Edge of Seventeen

Well then suddenly...
There was no one...
left standing In the hall...
yeah yeah...
In a flood of tears
That no one really ever heard fall at all

Oh I went searchin' for an answer...
Up the stairs... and down the hall
Not to find an answer...
Just to hear the call
Of a nightbird
... singing...


Come away... come away...



Not sure many people know this, but Edge Of Seventeen was written after John Lennon's death and the death of Stevie Nicks' uncle...it's about a sense of loss that you can't really explain. The type of loss that makes you cry from the sadness within, but then makes you appreciate everything you have... Carpe diem!

Mr. Chad and I are not lighting a unity candle. We already feel united (most families are not intertwined like ours...LOL)...and I think unity candles are weird...LOL--always have for some odd reason.

However, we both love candles and the ethereal feel they add to the ceremony, so we've decided to light candles for the grandmothers we've lost and light one to honor his grandmother that will not be able to attend due to health complications. The sense of loss that we have for our grannies can not be put into words, nor can we show it by lighting a candle...but the happiness we have for still having his one grandmother around is priceless. Carpe diem!

17,16,15,14,13...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

18 and Life...you knew I was going there...LOL

Vows & Life Insurance...LOL. I had planned on writing today about our vows, but Mary was going on and on about life insurance policies, so although not related (One about starting a life together the other about ending one...LOL.), I will try to give you my opinion on both...not that it counts for anything...LOL.

It turns out J.D. was adamant about getting life insurance on Mary, and according to MetLife... http://www.metlife.com/Applications/Corporate/WPS/CDA/PageGenerator/0,4132,P13856,00.html

he should be. As I have stated before, marriage is combining everything--mentally, physically, and certainly financially. Most couples today both work to support their home, even when children are not involved, it takes quite a bit of money to run an average American household. Although, I see Mary's point (J.D. has a lot of guns and it is a downer of a topic before the marriage)...I do agree with J.D. , I think it's wonderful that he is planning ahead. Mr. Chad needs a policy on me, too...but if he starts buying more guns than fishing poles...I'm out.

Now, on to vows...

I am not just going to say, "I do" or "I will". Those words will be said, but there has got to be more to pledging your mortal soul to someone than just 2 words. I have put vows off until the last minute, and no doubt this will be the final thing that Mr. Chad and I work on together, in regards to the wedding.

For weeks, I have been looking up vows on-line. It is so hard, though. I keep crying. Stop laughing. It's not that funny. OK, it is a little...LOL. Whenever, I try to picture us standing at the altar, pledging our love and lives together...uh oh, it's happening, again...LOL...I get all teary-eyed. Who can say,

"I love you. You are my best friend.Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life."

...and not cry like a baby...LOL? Not I. I am crying now and I have no intention of even using these...LOL.

During this process, I have discovered there are many ways to pledge my love, but none that could ever completely convey it. I can only hope to come up with some magical words to express half the love I have for him... b/c his will probably put mine to shame...and I'm the one that spends my day in a world of words...LOL.

18,17,16,15,14...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

Hey, XIX...little shout out to Steely Dan.

In no way is today's title one of my favorite songs, but I can remember singing it in elementary school and it seemed way cool...LOL. (It was on my friend Bridget's jukebox...LOL.) I remember I couldn't wait to be 19 or somewhere near that age--so I could be gone and out of the house. I, also, couldn't wait to party like it was 19-99...LOL...so for today, 19 was remotely important at conjuring up sweet memories of adolescence, but that's all.

Final preparations have been made for the most part, and RSVP cards keep coming in... Why do we bother to send those things, anyway? People should just assume that everyone on their guest list is coming...LOL. At this point, I really hope the Pope can't pencil our wedding in b/c I'm not sure I would have a seat for him. (Kidding folks, I would make room for any man of God.)

Well, the guys have not all been measured, but they have another week, so I'm not too stressed about that... Flower girl/Ring bearer dresses (Yes, our ring bearer is a girl.) have dresses ordered and they will be here next week. Both Moms are looking for wedding day attire, but do not seem to be in a hurry, and I'm OK with that, too. I want them to get something they like and can wear again and again.

I have started working on the program and it's coming along, but still need to finish the details for the candy buffet and put the monogram on the boxes. I need to wrap the wedding attendants gifts, and grab a few things for the rehearsal dinner. All and all, though...I feel good with where everything is at. Finally, I can start to relax...well, until tomorrow that is...LOL.

19,18,17,16,15...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

Marriage 2.0...and I should know...LOL.

****2nd time is BIG time...LOL. I have been waiting for this entry for many weeks. I am excited this time around for so many things that I dreaded last time and I want to share some of them with y'all.

I can NOT wait to change my name...LOL. I'm keeping Buettner b/c of my girls, but I can't wait to be Mrs. Chad Boyd or Christy Buettner Boyd. The ladies in my Mardi Gras group are probably dying or dying laughing right now...LOL.I fought so hard to be recognised as Christy Hall Buettner and not as the wife of Mr. Buettner. Funny how we change as we get older...LOL.

I can NOT wait to combine our finances. (Not b/c he makes all the money and I have all those educational loans...LOL, but b/c he will be the primary bread-winner and I want him to be in charge of all that kind of stuff. I do not care to say that I am dependent on him...to an extent.) He wants to take care of me and I want to let him.

I can NOT wait to bicker over home decor, which has already started...LOL, and planning home improvements to the "new" house together. BTW, deck is way up there at being first major project...LOL. I can't wait to walk away when we are both frustrated b/c I bought the wrong nails for the deck and Home Depot is not a 5 minute drive away. (Honey, I know there is always Daniel's and he has everything for a price...LOL.)

I can NOT wait to get fat for 9 months and make him drive 30 minutes (Yes, Taco Bell is that far away, but this will be his punishment for making me live among the cicadas and woodpeckers...LOL) for a bean and cheese burrito. The smell will probably kill him...all I can say is, "he knows how to roll down those windows". He should be thankful I'm not sending him for Italian food...LOL.

I can NOT wait to yell at him and the girls for playing the Wii all night, while secretly enjoying the sound of their laughter as I lay in my bed.

I guess, to make a long story short...I can NOT wait to be Mr. Chad's wife and to begin...Life as a new Mrs.-Again.

20,19,18,17,16...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

21 and Over

It is law, in most states, that one must be 21 to drink. I totally agree...I mean, you could drink and drive and kill yourself or someone else. With that being said, shouldn't there be a law similar to that about getting married? It seems the same outcome could occur...LOL.

Yes, I know there are laws about marriage out there. For instance, if you are under a certain age, parents must sign for you to be legally wed. However, I have a problem with this. If a bartender serves you too much and you get out and create chaos, that bartender can be charged with assisting the problem. So.......shouldn't parents that sign for a 15 years old to get married, be held accountable when their child's marriage fails?

My rant today is about "helping out" the statistics of successful marriages. I am pro-same sex marriage. (Marriage, to me, is defined as 2 loving individuals in a monogamous relationship. I know that means they could be 15, but I'm off of that point now...LOL.) I am, also, pro-second marriage...and pro-wait 'til your 35+ marriage...as well as, pro-just "live together and pretend we're married" marriage...LOL.

I want to not only have a successful marriage, I want a HAPPY marriage. I want a marriage that I have to work on b/c I WANT it to get better and better as time goes by. I believe Mr. Chad wants that, too...If not, we wouldn't be here now would we?...LOL.

21,20,19,18,17...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

Human Chromosome 22

Who are we?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromosome_22_(human)


Science truly amazes me. Mr Chad LOVES space the way I love the makeup of the human body. I want to know who I am and who I am going to be.

We both have had some form of cancer. Will our children? My mother is blind in one eye. Will I lose my vision? These questions may seem weird, but I think we all want to know certain things about ourselves, even if it's just for the sake of curiosity.

I mean, I do not want to know how and when I'll die, but I would like to know if I'm predestined for something like diabetes, so that I can take preventative measures now. If there is something I could do to keep me chugging along so that I may see my children's children, then by God, I'm going to do whatever it takes...LOL. I, also, would like to keep myself healthy so that Mr. Chad and I "live long and prosper" (yeah, baby...I put that in there just for YOU...LOL).

Anyway, the above link is a great read, and I'll tell you, on another day, how I want to choose the sex of our next child (if and when)...and how Catarina already calls him Cyclops...LOL..."babies come out with one eye, Mom...when you start messing with their DNA..." Thanks, Catarina. I need something else to worry about.

22,21,20,19,18...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

February 23rd...my favorite holiday!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE my birthday! I don't just love MY birthday, though. I love birthdays in general. Any birthday is a wonderful day. It's the day that was chosen for you to come into this world. I love my children's birthdays, too...and I try to go above and beyond for them, or try to do EXACTLY what they want to do to celebrate it!

Now that I'm getting married (oh, and I love Mr. Chad's birthday, too), I wonder how I will feel about anniversaries. Everyone knows the big joke in life is how men NEVER remember their anniversary....I have to wonder, will I? I mean, will I deem it important enough to remember the day that WE chose to promise one another to love each other 'til death do us part??? Ha Ha Ha Ha...you know I will. I remember everything, most of the time...unless I choose to forget it...LOL.

I suppose, I won't make fancy dinners...he wouldn't eat them. I won't fly us to Vegas...he won't get on a plane. I won't dance on a pole in our bedroom...wait, not that we have a pole in our bedroom...LOL, but I will remember to stop and say "thanks". Thanks for choosing me to be your life-long best friend...oh, and I might make him a spice cake. :o)

23,22,21,20,19...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.