Our Engagement Photos

Trinity and I got a wonderful present in the mail today from our wedding photographers, Kurtis and Jen Bowersock. They sent us "web ready" photos from our engagement session. We started the fun at our house, trying not to look too awkward smooching on the couch.

Then I had to include our 3rd family member, the beautiful Kashmir. I love how blue her eyes look here.

I couldn't find her Target trenchcoat that I often make her wear, but I did locate her fish hat. She looked thrilled as we shot this. I love her face and I'm digging my hair.

As I have joked before, my house literally sits on railroad tracks. We usually get one train a day, and it just so happened to roll by while we stood in the backyard.

We also went to my favorite cupcake spot. Everything is pink and I love it!

Downtown

This one was also artsy and fun.

Big nostril-flaring Betsy snort/laugh.

More snort/laughing. I am so delicate and petite.

We had such a fun evening with Kurtis and Jen. We can't wait for the wedding.

Necessary Orthodontia

I really don't like my teeth. They never look white enough or straight enough to me. I am always worried about my teeth. So why am I so nutty about them? They were once awful. I know that you probably think I'm being dramatic. I assure you that I am not. They were bad. Like really bad. Like get retainers in 4th grade, have braces from 6th-10th grade and then continue to wear the retainers that you got post-braces in 1995 nightly as a 30 year old woman. I have this fear that the Snaggletooth Fairy is once again going to sprinkle her snaggle dust all over my tooths in the night and make me all fugly again.

When I was home for my shower a couple of weeks ago, I bounded up my parents' steps 2 at a time like I do, and have done since I was about in 2nd grade. I stopped in my tracks when I came face to face with this:

Betsy in the 6th grade at the height of her awkward phase that lasted approximately 4.5 years. Why, oh why, mother dear, would you hang this in your home? Where do I start? Rob is looking pretty fly with his bowl haircut. Mom is rockin' a total teacher sweater. I am "jumping for joy" in my green jumper complete with teeth issues. Everyone else looks normal. Cut to Katie, older sister in the purple dress. She is 13 years old in this picture. Are you freakin' kidding me? Now does everyone understand why I had a complex? Not only was I a tooth trainwreck, but Katie looked about 20 and was Hot with a capital H.

Close up of the main tooth issue. See that thing sticking out of my gums? That's a toof. Yes, a toof. Growing where toofs shouldn't grow. If I had a nickel for every time someone said, "hey, you've got a piece of lettuce, right here..." and it was my ogre tooth, then I'd have about 45 nickels. It was terrible. My orthodontist, who was really an 80 year old dentist, used to imprint his Rolex on my forehead biweekly as he labored over my pearly whites. Pull that mo'fo? No sir! Let's bracket that biotch and pull it down to meet its friends! Brilliant! Words cannot describe the tears that preceded my current teeth. I guess I shouldn't complain.

I think this photo is way better for display:

Zoo Trip

Today I took two students that I worked with this past year to our zoo. Bawi Dawt and Bawi Sang are both from Burma. They are cousins and are going into 3rd grade. Bawi Dawt does not speak much English, but certainly knows his colors, big, small, lots of animal names, and my name. What more do you need to head to the zoo?

They dried their hands after petting sharks.

Why does this crazy big teacher woman keep taking our picture?

Racing cheetahs

My favorite

Strawberry Hunt

I am a tad obsessed with strawberries. As soon as the first berries arrive in the store, I typically eat 3-4 pints of them a week, if not more. I eat them plain, with no sugar. I have had a long affair with the strawberry, and also had every Strawberry Shortcake doll made such as Lemon Meringue, Orange Blossom and Raspberry Tart to name a few. Trinity calls me "Strawberry Hunt".

We headed today to a pick your own strawberry farm to get my fix. We were assigned a row and were given a cardboard box and a flag to mark where we stopped picking. It was all very organized. It was also very hot. Trinity picked a lot fewer berries than me, mostly because he kept saying that he was "berry picky" when making his selections. His other comments included, "Betsy, where are all of the rabbits? If I was a bunny rabbit I would totally live in this berry patch." Ah, the deep thoughts of my true love.

Here he is with his flag and perfect strawberry selection.

I was not as selective. It was hot.

We did this for about 15 minutes and I nearly passed out. Cotton pickin' in the deep South would not have been a career choice for me.

The haul!

A Winery Trip

Trinity and I had an evening adventure at a local winery. The Mallow Run Winery was having a pizza night, featuring their wine and Bazbeaux Pizza, which is my favorite spot for pizza. We arrived at about 5:15, with all of the rest of Indiana. It was so crowded! There was a great mix of retirees, college kids, newly married couples and babies. Lots of babies. I didn't think babies were allowed in places such as wineries, but apparently babies like wine too.

We started off with a little wine tasting. Meet our wine expert, Stephanie. She also teaches at my school. Stephanie is very cool, calm and collected. I discovered she maintains the same level of calm serving Sweet T and I wine that she does teaching 3rd graders, and the two of us can get pretty rowdy. I mean who doesn't get raucous slurping down sweet Blackberry wine made in the Hoosier Heartland? Some of the wines tasted like fruity preserves, which is just my style. I don't do dry, unless we're talking humor.

The weather and pizza were great. Here Sweet T is leading me to the car around 8:00 p.m. We had to roll home early, because I missed my nap.

Our Postage Stamp-sized Home

Once upon a time in 2006 a 27 year old chick bought herself a prime piece of real estate. At a tad over 1100 square feet, I finally had a place of my own and it was quite spacious for me and Special K, aka Kashmir. Now that I have an extra resident, things are getting a little cramped.

The tiny feline that Trinity refers to as "Pork Chop" hasn't gotten any bigger.

We cannot buy a new home until Trinity sells his home in Tennessee. We currently have two homes, which makes us like real estate moguls, in my opinion. As much as I'd like to accrue assets and such, (this is stuff I learned from The Celebrity Apprentice) I really just want to have a wee bit more space. Not a lot. I don't need a big fancy pants house, with like 4,000+ square feet. That's obnoxious. Or maybe, just maybe, I can't afford one of those houses.

Anyway, after a couple of bridal showers, the house is becoming tapped out on space. I need to clear out old stuff and put away the new. I am officially finished with school now, and will have ample time to rearrange. When I walked into my dining room, which is now moonlighting as a storage shed, I discovered this sight...

Now I know what you're thinking. Is that "Diana Blue" by Porter Paints on the walls? Yes. Are those cast off dining room chairs donated by your way more financially secure sister? Yes. Is that a possum in the corner? No. That is my Puss in Boots style wedding present security patrol.

When I got too close, this is what happened. She stretched and yawned to show me not to attempt to touch any Crate and Barrel mixing bowls.

She's officially off duty and we need a bigger house.

The Hangover

The troops rallied this weekend to honor this guy as he embarks on a lifetime of wedded bliss.

All of the faces to follow are groomsmen in our wedding. All, with the exception of my brother, are members of the Henry County High School class of '94. They headed to Louisville, KY this weekend to go to the track, watch the Bats in action, and tear it up at Fourth Street Live. While I was opening gifts and oohing and aahing over flatware, Sweet T was out yukking it up with the following fools.

Exhibit A: my younger brother Rob. 6'4" tall with a propensity for letting everyone know that he's NUMBER ONE!!!! He also enjoys Jager bombs and Rumplemints.

Exhibit B: Craig. Well under 6'4" tall. Craig and Trinity have been friends since high school, and have traveled more together than Sweet T and I probably ever will. Seriously. Cancun. Bahamas. They usually went to Sandals resorts.

Exhibit C. Josh. Also a Parisian, handy with the pool cue, and has a fabulous southern accent. His wife's name is Heather, their last name is Graham. That makes him almost famous.

Exhibit D. Joey. Yes, a grown man who still goes by the name Joey. I love him. That's all I'll say before I get in trouble.

Exhibit E. Rusty. Rusty is in the business world, and he's what some might call "sort of a big deal." He likes stylish things and is the polar opposite of Trinity. He's also hilarious.

Finally, the soon to be non-bachelor. Here he is in his new shirt, purchased without supervision. He found it at Stein-Mart, and repeatedly reminded me, "Betsy, its real silk!" Oh, how proud I am of you, Charlie Sheen from Two and a Half Men.

Trinity arrived home carrying this. This was his travel bag. I wish that this was a joke. My big Bachelorette soiree is in a few short weeks. I totally plan to outdo him!