eternally chaotic » Special Events

Tree of Life

Isi — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:25:50 +0000

March 21st marks a very special day for Carol and I, an anniversary of sorts. The first spark of our relationship which flourished into what we have today.

On this special day I received a gift of life from Carol. An Oak tree still in seed form that we could watch grow over the years. Always a reminder of each other. Excitedly I planted my new treasure in its pot, precisely following directions to help it burst out of shell and start to grow into a sapling. Thirty days passed and roots started to form. Sixty days passed and the seed had just started to split open. Now was the time to take the tree home and expose it to some direct sunlight so that it could flourish.

A few days later I received a message from Carol indicating that the tree was gone. Our Seed of Life had been cracked open and eaten by a hungry squirrel who selfishly left the pieces of the now destroyed shell littered all over the deck. I did have a momentary temptation to go hunting.

Carol called and reported our recent loss to the provider and another tree arrived at home a few weeks later. Now the process was to begin anew. Special precautions would be taken until the seed properly sprouted into a sapling and we could plant it in a larger pot or the ground. Since it takes an oak tree forever to grow the idea of allowing it to be mobile seems best until such a time as planting is required.

This time I decided to document the process with a few pictures. Carol never ceases to amaze me with her love and thoughtfulness. This Seed was and is, for a second time, the perfect gift. Attached was a card from Carol:

Love, Two years ago today you asked me to dance. That simple question has changed my life forever. I have never been Loved or felt so much in Love as i do with You. You are my Angel. Today, Tomorrow & Always I am Yours Eternally.

So Behold! Our Seed of Life.

May it continue to grow as a reminder of our Love.

Anniversary Dinner Date

Carol — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:13:07 +0000

Israel and I enjoyed a Fantastic dinner at Antica Posta. We had been looking for an authentic Italian restaurant ever since returning from Italy. The food was amazing and spot on Tuscan style. We even splurged with a bottle of 2005 Brunello from Montalcino - Perfetto!

Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa

Isi — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 16:27:57 +0000

We couldn’t be there to tell you in person but we wanted to make sure that you got the message. Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa. There aren’t any good songs for an anniversary like there are for birthdays so we took the easy route. All the munchkins send their love and wish you the best on your special day.

We took two videos. Piper was upset at the end of the first because she didn’t get to blow out the candles. After she calmed down we took another for fun. Enjoy!!!

Love you guys – Happy Anniversary !!!

Biplane Flight

Isi — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:45:19 +0000

This was a flight a long time in the making and well worth the wait. Last Easter Carol led me on an egg hunt around the house, each egg progressing the hunt and adding clues to what might lie at the end. After each nook and cranny had been covered and the final egg discovered I found inside one of these containers of delight a pair of tickets for a flight in a biplane from Bi-Plane Atlanta. The tickets were good for a year, and thank goodness for that. With all of our time and energy focused on our wedding as well as learning to tango it was certainly something that would be a great distraction later. Well later turned into the summer and then to the fall. By then it was to cold to ride and enjoy it – the biplane was an open canopy and the air only gets colder the higher you go – regardless of how close you get to the Sun. :)

We took off from Peachtree-Dekalb (PDK) airport around lunch time on a near perfect day. It was a touch chilly, especially at altitude and it was really windy – that was our pilot, Otie’s problem though and only became ours if he wasn’t successful at managing it. But no complaining from us as it was perfectly clear and sunny. Our seats were in the front and the view was great. It was weird taxiing though when you couldn’t see where you were going except by looking out the side or sticking your head out from behind the windscreen. Otie kept swerving the plane back and forth on the taxiway to see what was in front of us – onlookers probably thought we were drunk, out joy riding.

The take off was quick and before we knew it we were up in the air heading out towards Stone Mountain. It was hard to see much of the mountain or scenery. The sides of the plane were high, about neckline, and getting a good view without sticking your head out was difficult. Otie did a good job though of pitching the wings down and circling back and forth in a few figure eights, varying which wing was pointed at ground so we both were able to get a good look. We confirmed, in case there was any lingering question, that even from the air it appears to be a large rock.

We were asked before we took off if we wanted to fly any tricks like a loop or a barrel roll. We agreed to a hammerhead which is a mix of the two – gain altitude, aim at the ground to gain speed (certainly there is some irony there), pull out of the dive and role to one side causing the plane to fly upside down before straightening things out flat and level. There was some anxiousness about this particular maneuver and a certain amount of hand and leg squeezing during other bumpy parts of the flight prompted me to ask for a rain-check. Later I learned that the “fear of God death grip” was tantamount to having a good time and a result of enjoying the rush and that the cancellation was not necessary and should not be repeated.

The trip back to land was fun, lots of chatter on the radio that we got to listen to. I don’t understand how the air traffic controllers keep everything straight. I pulled out the camera when we were on final approach and got a good video of the landing. The landing was smooth but up until our wheels hit the runway I thought we were going for a soft field landing. Once we parked the plane and put our feet back down on the ground we enjoyed a nice lunch at the 57 Fighter Group Restaurant.

Tree of Life

Princess on Ice

Isi — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 04:38:45 +0000

It was a rare treat to get some one on one time with Piper, let alone doing something new. We took a friend up on an offer of Ice Skating and had a great time. I cannot remember Piper ever having been on Ice before, well at least not intentionally and prepared. She was skeptical at first – that initial step being something akin to loosing any remote sense of balance and traction with her spider little legs going every which way. I would have love to have recorded the first moment when she stepped on the ice but both of my hands were required. It only took a moment though and we were doing laps in the center of the rink with the other beginners – well beginners and some of those that just like to show off, spinning and twirling like the are dancing on the wind with butterflies between their toes.

After some confidence grew we headed out of the center and into the flow – and a flow it was – Sunday in Duluth on a cold winter day – where else might one want to be other than standing on the very thing that makes you cold… We elbowed our way in and through, dodging the speedsters, the backwards skaters that you weren’t ever sure if they knew or cared where they were going, the line of Chatty Cathy’s holding hands eight people across offering no possible opening through which we could pass – through to the other side – the side with a rail to hold onto. She was real interested in getting to that rail – all the other kids that were one step up from just hitting the ice – figuratively and literally – were all here… this was where the cool kids hung out – one are on the rail and the other swinging wildly in all directions looking for this mythical thing called – Balance.

After a few slow laps Piper stopped dead in her tracks and start giggling and wiggling. I couldn’t tell what she was doing – and then I heard “HIM” on the radio and all the girls within ten yards were singing (and so was Piper) – Justin Bieber had just invaded my Daddy Time. She listened and sang and danced for the duration…..Sigh.

It was getting close to leaving time and I knew there was some hot cocoa with our names on it. However, when we stepped across the threshold off the ice and onto the carpet Piper got upset and didn’t want to leave. I offered another round or two to put that smile back where it belonged. This time however we were going at daddy’s pace. We jumped into the pack, I had her hands in mind and she kept her balance nicely and I was able to pull her along quickly for two more laps before she declared that we could go now. We headed in, ditched the skates and grabbed some hot cocoa before hitting the road!

Princess Piper’s 6th Birthday Breakfast Bash

County Fair

Isi — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 04:01:48 +0000

A much anticipated trip to the fair today. One of my favorite events to look forward to each year growing up. Granted the fairs in Franklin were a little more focused on 4-H, but there was still fun to be found (and had). We have been talking about this trip with the kids for the past few weeks and they were all very excited about getting to ride the rides and play games (even Carol but I think she was interested in the naughty food….). Earlier in the day we took them to the grocery store along with three jars of change we have been collecting all year long – this was our spending money for any and all the goodies the fair could offer – plus it was a good way to show them that saving could add up over time. Before cashing in the coins we all took turns guessing how much we had. I asked them to pick a number from one to one hundred – while we were watching the coins drop in and the total go up we had to stop and make new guesses (much to our surprise). In the end we turned three jars of change into $172.02 (woo-hoo !!!) and the kids were able to see the coins turned into bills (what is it about $20 bills that even kids find appealing).

Once we arrived the fair was happy to relieve us of much of our hard earned loot. Tickets run about one dollar each and each ride takes between three and six tickets OR you can purchase a stamp for twenty-five bucks that covers all the rides, kiddie and adult. We opted for the stamps for the kids and a few extra tickets in case we needed to ride with one of them – seemed like a good deal and the kids certainly took advantage of it by riding everything thing they could, sometimes a few times over.

Dinner was fantastic fair food – hot dogs, chili dogs, Chicago dogs, roasted corn on the cob, fresh squeezed and appropriately sugared lemonade….all this followed by a succulent dessert of boiled goobers, cotton candy and little cakes from Ms. Mary – we even had the pleasure of a Georgia sunset from our picnic table stuffed between a polish sausage and funnel cake stand – Yum!!! I think we would have eaten more, and there was plenty of different things to try, but sadly there was little room left to fit more.

After dark we walked around and topped off the night with a dramatic ride on the ferris wheel. The kids were a bit skeptical at first, not to mention tired as could be from running around all afternoon in the sun and being up way past normal bedtime. Piper had a great time looking at all the sites from “way up high”, her siblings were a bit less enthusiastic and were happy when it was over and when their feet were back on the ground. We had a quick stop on our way out at a game stand where each of the kids won a toy they could bring home and a funnel cake stand where Carol and I had our last treat of the night as well – nothing like powdered sugar covered fried yummies !!!

After announcing that we were headed home the CoTC’s true colors came out and we got the hell out of dodge…home…showers…bed..

Great afternoon at the County Fair!

Our Wedding Page

Isi — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:15:54 +0000

There is a lot of detail that goes into planning a wedding. There are a lot of people that go in and out of the loop or are just curious about how the planning process is going, what decisions are being made, what kind of this or how much of that, etc… Others are just nosy I wanted us to be able to use Eternally Chaotic to publish some of those bits. However, with the anticipation of many updates to come I did not want wedding posts to overwhelm the other aspects of our family blog. So without further ado I would like to introduce the “Our Wedding” section of our family website. Check back often as there is much more to come.

Wedding Update

Isaac’s Turns Seven

Isi — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:34:05 +0000

Happy birthday to you,
happy birthday to you,
happy birthday dear Isaac,
happy birthday to you!

It might a few months late getting online but that makes it no less of an event. In November, for the first and last time, Isaac turned seven. We planned a dinner out with family and friends as well as a party at the house so we could celebrate properly with cake and presents. We gave Isaac the choice of where he wanted to have his birthday dinner and thankfully he chose the Olive Garden – a fantastic and much yummier choice over the more usual kiddie venues such as Chucky Cheese or Monkey Joes. We will still eventually go to one of the others but instead of being the focus of a birthday party, we can just go and have a great time playing games or jumping around.

Dinner was fantastic. With such a large group I didn’t know what to expect but the OG had everything organized. They even put us in a sectioned off part of the restaurant near another large family party so we could be as loud as we wanted. After dinner we all headed back to the house to serenade the birthday boy and eat cake.

Jacob and I spent much of the day making Isaac’s cake. Carol in the past has always done something special with the cake, so this time I wanted to give it a go. A grande battle was the idea we were working with. I had some old molds to help with the castles and Jacob was able to find a bunch of medieval men and siege weapons to make sure it was a battle that would not be forgotten. The cake was fun and rewarding to make. Plus we got to eat icing and play with toys for most of the day – not much tops that – except getting to eat more of it that night !!!

One of the great things about having a big family is that birthdays are sometimes likes Christmas. Isaac had a great time opening gifts. Even those that couldn’t be there in person sent cards and well wishes. Of particular interest were the G.I. Joes, Race Track, and Legos.

Happy Birthday Isaac. I hope the year to come is one to remember.

Violet Turns Four

My whole heart for my whole life

Isi — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:42:54 +0000

I am not normally a nervous person. I speak well in front of people, rarely with a slip of the tongue or bead of sweat. I remember ideas instead of lines to get my point across more on the fly, rolling with any punches that might get in the way, than by recalling words from memory. I can ramble with the best of them to keep a conversation going while I figure out what point it was I was trying to make…this list can go on and on but I might start to get an ego, and regardless of how inflated my ego might get, not a one of these traits, trained or otherwise learned over the years, helped me one bit on a very special night in November of 2009.

I had planned for weeks, little bits here and little bits there, all culminating into a grand story that I wanted to tell. A story to convey a very special feeling about a very special person in my life. It was a rare occasion that my family was all in the same place all at the same time. It was likely even more rare that my family and Carol’s family were all under the same roof having dinner and celebrating. The fact that it was Thanksgiving night and we were having dinner helped. I decided to take advantage of such and tell my story. I was going to ask Carol to Marry me!!!

The delivery that played out in my head for the past few weeks went something like this:

“Hey everyone can I get your attention!!! I would like to make a toast. It is a rare event that my family is together for the holidays and that fact that I get to share them with the woman that I love, as well as her family, fills my heart with joy. Here’s a drink for you all” …. …. “Honey there is another part of this toast. With all of our family here I could think of no other time more appropriate to tell them just how I feel about you.” …. …. “Will you Marry me?” ….

Now reality often differs from what one might imagine. Not always in good or bad ways, but usually in unpredictable, didn’t plan for that, why is this happening kind of ways. So let me tell you how it really went down:

I wondered into the kitchen, ring box concealed nicely in my pocket, and poured myself a glass of wine. I was more nervous that I thought I would be…after all I had been planning this event in my head for a few weeks now. Everyone was talking in different groups and there didn’t really seem to be a good place to cut in with a toast. I tried once but my voice failed me and the second time was weak but I got everyone’s attention. Now all eyes were my way… I had interrupted after all. I started to get warm and a lump of something clogged my throat…I felt my eyes starting to water – not tears, but emotion welling up and looking for an escape. It just happened to be in the form of tears. I don’t really remember what I said but at the end we all raised our glasses in a toast and drank – some more deeply than others. Carol and I were standing next to each other. I pulled the ring box out of my pocket at the same time I caught her attention by saying “Carol, I have a question for you.” Thankfully nobody had started talking again and all eyes were pointed our way. I knelt before her with my arm in front of me, a ring presented before me. For a brief moment Carol looked at me, our eyes met and I smiled. I am not sure what was going through her head but I wasn’t waiting to find out. I finished my question, “Carol, will you Marry me?”. Tears welled up in her eyes and she grabbed me in an embrace. We stood there for a few minutes while our family offer some congratulatory cheers. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that Troy asked, “So what is it? Is that a yes?” …. we all had a few laughs at this … Carol hadn’t answered – well at least not with words, but she confirmed for those that needed them – “YES. It’s a YES”.

Even though my delivery didn’t go as planned, it all worked out in the end. I got the girl…Carol and I took the next big step in our relationship. Within five minutes of proposing Grandpa asked Carol when the wedding was going to be, with not so subtle hints that the end of March (his birthday) would “be a fine time” – sheesh gramps give her a minute – she only just found out she was getting married, at some point in the future, unlikely in March, three hundred second in the past – (well at least thats the thought that went through my head). Just after that she was asked if she knew what the colors were going to be….hehe….I had to wonder off at this point. I was shaking and somewhere there was more wine that needed a glass to fill.

After things settled down a bit we got the chance to talk to the kids about what just happened and what they thought about it. Jacob was happy and understood that one day down the road I would be his step dad. We had talked about that many times in the past and the idea appealed to him even then. Now he offered some shy smiles and grins and played coy while we gave him hugs. Isaac, true to his spirit, wanted to know when and if he had to change his last name. Later the next day he was anxious about this again but from a different angle. He wanted to know that should he have to eventually change his last name to be mine, would Uno (our dog) have to change his last name to be his (Isaac’s). Piper remained quite about the topic until I went to put her to bed. As I was tucking her in she told me, in no uncertain terms, that she was going to dress as a princess for our wedding. Now she brought this up, not me, but I was curious. I told her of course she could be a princess when the day comes. With a seriousness in her voice she proceeded to list off the things that she would need to be appropriately dressed. Apparently a princess at a wedding needs a special crown on their head, a “beautiful dress”, and princess shoes. Violet is still pretty young and certainly doesn’t understand the finer points of what was going on. True to her additional X chromosome she stated only “Mommy Carol, Can i wear your princess ring?”.

We are both excited for the times to come. Even though we are close and already think of ourselves as a Family, we still look forward to the permanence that our marriage will bring.

Tree of Life

Happy Birthday Auntie Kim

Carol — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:33:45 +0000

Aunt Kim’s birthday is today. We wanted to help her celebrate with some video cheer. Piper didn’t want to sing so we had to do a second take. Enjoy !!

Take 1:

Take 2:

Happy Birthday Kim !!!