Just for Fun - Flashback!

Just a few pictures from our wedding day! To go along with the advice from yesterday I found a few pictures from the big day. I need to get one of the machines that transfers negatives into jpg's so I can upload them too. Tracy took the best pictures and didn't have a digital camera. Probably not a bad thing because at that time they were just so-so.

the dancing flower girl... sort of stole the show

humor is always welcome

can't wait for Megan's wedding in a few years! LOL!

the weather for Michigan was pretty mild for late October.

Now if we were close enough walk through Aquinas we would...

5 Years! Words of Wisdom

Five years ago today we got married! Now I know you think it was just yesterday, but it's been a bit longer. For our rehearsal dinner Aunt Sandy had everyone write down words of wisdom for us and we were supposed to open after our wedding. We are taking a bit longer than I think she meant it to take. We opened one on year one, two on year two and so on. Actually one year we pulled an extra as the advice was a bit well not exactly advice, but someone being ummm... well silly.
So we will share what we read today because it's kind of fun! These will remain nameless with a few clues. And you might just learn somethine new...
#1 - Be polite and respectful. When you can't - go shopping while he cleans the house. (thanks little sister for this wonderful advice!)
#2 - Katie & Mark, It would be easy to say "elope"! But more importantly remember it is the Lord that bines and make strong blessings. Long and happy life. Health and happy children and grand children and great grand children.
#3 - Mark & Katie, Stay cool and keep on keeping on.
#4 - Always use good manners with each other - "company manners" treat each other like an honored guest in your house.
#5 - You will have rough times - everyone does - even us (removed names). You will get through them as long as you remember you love each other and have made a lifetime commitment.

Now we have many more to open and this will take years....

West Point's Coolest Seats in the House!

Taken from our perch! Can you see where this post is heading?

the Head Coach guest passes - access to the cool seats!

Which we did have to give back after the game, but still cool all the same.

We've been planning a Friday night tailgate for almost all season with someone I work with and really he's a Navy grad so not really a West Point fan like us. We just like college football and love coming to game here because there is virtually no traffic like most other schools. And hey sometimes they win. Ok back to the story... Just so happens that my co-worker, Bob, is connected to the head coach at Army - they went to the Naval Academy for summer school and then Rich (Coach Ellerson) left and went off to school elsewhere, while Bob, stayed around and graduated 4 years later. When Rich ended up coaching at West Point this year Bob contacted him and got an invite to a game.

Little did he know just what a cool invite it was! We got to watch the game from his office overlooking the field! How cool is that? Somehow we also got these really cool parking passes for the backside of the resevior near their house. What a neat place to tailgate. If only it had been light out I'd have some really neat pictures, but no we only have these from the game. Coach has a very nice family and even though Army lost we had fun! Can't beat having the ESPN2 on at the same time. Since it was raining these really were the best seats in the house too!

Just a few rain drops... actually it was pouring!

It was also quite chilly, but the porch heaters made it a little bit toasty.

Mark and Bob - and then some of Bob's kids. We were a party of 9. The kicker was after the game Coach wanted to catch up with Bob at his house. Now Bob is at work every morning at 6:00 am so by 11:00 pm when the game ended you can imagine where Bob wished he was - LOL! I'm sure he had fun though. We made the quick escape so I think I really owe him lunch now.

invasion of the...

you guess??? literally hundreds are covering our house - just arrived today! Thank GOD we have all our windows shut, but they are still sneaking in the little cracks!

Even with the bad focus job you can tell they are freaking lady bugs! Only about 20 or so made it into the house. Better freeze tonight!

wacky weather!

Sunday I had on flip flops.

See the previous post - those are my toes!

Today it snowed...

Still too early for the heat at work....

thank God for my little space heater and the door I can close!

Even better it's almost FRIDAY!

Took this before many of our pretty leaves came down!

Let Loose in NYC!

braving the subway!

Well sort of let loose... Lisa and Paulette, the girls from my Keeler days came for a long weekend and we hit the city on Saturday - it was Lisa's first time there! Lots of firsts. She did great in getting some cheap purses so good they followed us around the rest of the day bugging her to look one more time. I got a few pictures and am waiting on Lisa for the really good ones! We posed with one of those Statue of Liberty dudes. Pretty fun if I do say so myself.

trying to get a bargain - trying...

we are almost to full color

we survived!