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.