Life of a Lowry

Beauty

2009-05-11T17:34:00.020-05:00

I wake up to the same loud alarm as I do every day and head for the shower. Kelly continues to sleep, until I wake him to tell him it's his turn. I put my make-up on in the living room to avoid the heat and steam coming from behind the shower curtain in our only bathroom (a problem that desperately needs a remedy). I then head for the bathroom, grab my hair-dryer, and head back into the living room (drying your hair without a mirror really isn't an easy task, at least not for me). At this point, Kelly has already exited the shower, shaved, and almost gotten completely dressed.

It's Sunday. It's our routine every Sunday before church. And then, our normal routine gets interrupted. Kelly slowly walks over to me and gently hands me a card. I have a feeling that I know what it is, and a lump starts to form in my throat. Kelly goes back into bedroom to finish getting ready (really just to give me what I need...a moment alone). I slowly open the card, and tears immediately begin streaming down my face.

You see, it's not just any card. It's not just another card to tell me he loves me. It's a Mother's Day card. It's a card that reads:

No animals were harmed during the production of this birthday (which he crossed out and put Mother's Day) card.
Inside: A couple of bulldogs were pretty badly humiliated though.
Happy Birthday (again crossed out and replaced with Mother's Day)!
Kelly's writing: I saw this card and it reminded me of our daughter. I just wanted you to know what an incredible mother you were to her. Thank you.
Love,
Kelly and Emma

Kelly then walked back into the living room, to console me as I wept. Then, he gave me the most beautiful roses.

These past couple of weeks have been hard. Somehow, I've managed to feel numb most of the time, with the occasional breakthrough of overwhelming sadness. Normally, I've just gone through the motions of the day, until someone asks about her or I'm caught off-guard by a memory. I'm slowly starting to let down the walls, and allow myself to feel the pain and sorrow of losing Emma. And, it hurts.

I miss her so incredibly much. So much so, that when I think about her, my heart literally aches. It all happened so fast and it is definitely taking lots of time to process it all. I want to sincerely thank my mom and dad for all that they did to help Kelly and me with Emma the last week of her life. They cared for her so deeply and you could truly feel their sorrow in losing her. I am extraordinarily grateful for two loving, supportive, giving parents. I could not have done it without them.

Some things in life are not certain, and sometimes we cannot understand God's reasoning behind circumstances. One of the things in my life that is steadfast, is that I have a man who will walk beside me when times are happy and everything is right with the world. A man who will also firmly take hold of me, lift me up, and carry me when times are dark and somber. A man who will get me a Mother's Day card when we have a puppy, and one who will get me one even when she is gone. I'm undoubtedly a blessed girl. I get to travel through this life with Kelly, through the good times and the bad.

There is profound beauty in that.

Tribute

2009-04-30T09:03:00.004-05:00

Our sweet wedding photographers posted a tribute to Emma on their blog:
http://perezblog.net (It is dated 04/22/09).

Thank you Cesar and Tanya for capturing Emma's precious face and larger than life personality. I am so thankful that we have these pictures, and thank you for caring about us and our girl.

Goodbye My Dear Sweet Emma

2009-04-20T07:43:00.002-05:00

Emma passed away around 6:30 this morning. Our hearts are broken and our home will never be the same.

Prayers Needed

2009-04-15T17:07:00.044-05:00

04/19/09:
Update #8: Emma would not eat again this morning, so we had to force her to take her medications again. She did try to drink a little water from a medicine dropper. Oddly, she has only urinated twice since being home yesterday around 10:15 A.M. The prednisone is supposed to cause increased urination. Her breathing is very shallow, but she does not seem to be fighting to breathe or trying to inhale more oxygen harder. In all honesty, I am not sure she will make it through today. She is sleeping and seems peaceful. We are just loving her as much as we can.

04/18/09
***Update #7: Emma won't eat. They sent her home with two cans of ID and said that she had been eating. Kelly and I had to force her mouth open to put the food in with her medication. Then we had to take a medicine dropper with water and squirt water into the back of her throat to get her to take the medicine/food down. This makes me extremely worried.

***Update #6: My dad and I went to pick up Emma this morning (Kelly is working). When Dr. Marcum brought her into the room, he said that her hematocrit is back down to 16% (this is the blood level in her body, which was 15% and went up to 29% after the transfusion...the normal is 37-55%). Due to this, the concerned look on his face was evident and he seemed less optimistic. He said things such as "if she seems to start crashing, take her to the emergency vet to do what you need to do." He said to give her all the medications, but to call him first thing Monday morning. He said that if she isn't better, then we need to do what is fair for her. So, we wait. I am glad to have her home so that she isn't alone at night and so that I can comfort her and love on her. To me, it seems like Emma is suffering. My mom and dad think it's time to let her go, but I need Kelly here for us to decide what is best for her. She is breathing really deeply, still completely yellow, she does not get up to urinate or defecate and just goes while laying down. When she does either of those things, they are both bloody. I still can't bear the thought of her not being around, but I cannot bear the thought of her feeling like she does for any longer either.

04/17/09
***Update #5: Kelly and I met at the vet's office today to talk to Dr. Marcum about all of our concerns regarding Emma: her current condition, her quality of life now and in the future, the medications she needs to be on and how they will affect her, the knee surgery she will need at some point and what that might do to the AIHA (it can be brought on by stress), the financial burden (which I hate to even type or say those words because I love her so much that I would try to do everything I could, but we have probably easily spent $5,000 in vet visits & medications for her over the last year and a half...and that is not including the costs for this week).

Dr. Marcum was so understanding about everything. He said that if it were his dog, since we have come this far, that he would wait it out for a little while longer. He said that since she had the blood transfusion that running a blood test now would really not benefit anyone because it wouldn't tell her true condition (because the blood given can stay in their system for 3-5 days). He said that we could come and get her tomorrow (they close at noon and are closed on Sundays), and take her home. He said to keep her on the medications he will give us and see if she improves. If she is not any better by next Tuesday or Wednesday, he would recommend for us to go ahead and say our goodbyes and let her be at rest. In regards to the knee surgery, he said that we could wait a year on that.

He then had the tech bring Emma into the room. She is still in such bad shape that it just hurts my heart. She is still extremely yellow. So yellow that you can see it under her white hair, the white's of her eyes are completely yellow, her mouth is yellow, the inside of her ears. I thought this would have improved. She is not responding as much and she didn't lick me or act in the slightest bit happy to see Kelly or myself. That is not Emma. Even yesterday she just seemed relieved to see me when she licked me on the face. Not today. She got up for a second and then laid right back down and had diahrrea. It was reddish-brown and had no solidity to it whatsoever. We opened the door and the tech came in to clean her off, as well as the floor. She was breathing harder and every time she would take in air, her head would shake. We talked to Dr. Marcum again afterwards, and he said that these things are normal for a dog in her state. He again expressed that he would not give up on her yet.

I cannot express how this makes me feel. I feel drained. I have cried so much that I don't know if I can cry anymore. Last night was hard. Kelly and I truly discussed for the first time that we honestly may have to make the decision to let her go. I was getting ready for bed and walked into the bathroom. I had left her blankets in there, the baby-gate up, and the clean potty-pads on the floor and it hit me. I walked into the bedroom and told Kelly that I had left everything the same so that I would feel like she would definitely be coming home. And then it happened. I cried so hard that I was shaking and couldn't breathe. Kelly kept telling me to try to take deep breaths but my chest hurt. I finally calmed down and went to sleep.
This morning, I got up and got in the shower and sobbed again. Normally I would open the curtain, just to see Emma laying on the floor sleeping or licking her kong. Not this morning.

I still do not know what to do. I know she feels miserable. You can see it on her face. She has already been riddled with health problem after health problem. I don't want her to suffer, but it would be so hard to just let her go. We have decided to go with Dr. Marcum's recommendations, so we will be bringing her home tomorrow and waiting this out.

Note: Dr. Marcum said that we cannot use Potassium Bromide as a single agent to control Emma's seizures since hers are always cluster seizures. He doesn't feel it would manage them at all.

04/16/09
***Update #4: He called. Dr. Marcum decided to wait to run the bloodwork in the morning, since Emma just got the blood last night and seems to be about the same. She is staying at his office tonight, but this means that she is by herself. She doesn't have the comfort of having someone there with her. It makes me nauseous to think about it, but he said that she should be fine. This whole experience is tormenting Kelly and me and everyone else who cares about Emma.

***Update #3: Waiting on the vet to call. He is supposed to run her bloodwork at 4:30 and I feel like I'm going to be sick I'm so nervous.

***Update #2: I got a phone call from Dr. Ludwig, the vet at the emergency clinic late last night while Emma was getting the transfusion. She said that after looking over the labs, she felt that the cause of this was a gastrointestinal bleed-out from the anti-inflammatories that Emma had last week (but she was only on them for three days). However, that seemed more hopeful than AIHA, so I felt like I was able to sleep better.

This morning, we went to pick her up from the emergency vet to take her back to our normal vet's office (Dr. Marcum). Emma was more alert. She was lifting her head and when they laid her down she licked my face. Yesterday she wouldn't even lift her head. When we picked her up, there was a different vet at the ER clinic working. Her opinion was to suspect that Emma is actually having liver failure, and then she would secondarily think maybe AIHA (She also said that dogs with AIHA that get THAT yellow normally are the dogs who do not make it through. She said it in a caring way, and it was good that she was being honest.) However, we were getting so many different opinions, all from vets that sound knowledgeable, which is scary and frustrating at the same time.

We drove Emma over to our normal vet, and got into a room. (Dr. Marcum was not in the office yesterday at our normal vet and so we saw the other vet in the practice, Dr. Schaffer.) Dr. Marcum (bless his heart), saw Emma through the window in the door, immediately opened it with a very concerned look on his face and said, "Why is she here, is she having more seizures?" I said no, and he came closer and immediately said that Dr. Schaffer had told him that a dog came in with AIHA, but didn't tell him it was Emma.

I discussed with him the differing medical opinions and he said that he absolutely doesn't think it is liver failure, because we have been monitoring her liver, since she is on phenobarbital. He then also said that he doesn't think it is due to GI problems because she was only on the medications for three days and normally it takes around 7-10 for it to potentially cause a serious problem. He said that if the GI was that affected that she would have been coughing up blood or throwing up what appeared to look like coffee grounds. And, she wasn't.

He feels that it is AIHA. He said not to give up hope yet, and that they would put her back on the IV for fluids and medications. He will do blood work again this afternoon to see what her levels are (yesterday it was at 15%, after the transfusion it was at 29%). He even said that he normally doesn't do transfusions unless the level is down to 11 or 12%. But, he said that the transfusion wasn't a bad thing. If her levels are dropping again, it means that her immune system is still attacking itself (the red blood cells), and we will just make a further decision after we get those results.

04/15/09
***Update: My mom and I went back to the vet to pick Emma up for us to take her to the ER vet for the night. Kelly met us there. We talked with the vet for over an hour. She was so informative, honest about Emma's current situation/prognosis, told us what she would do if it were her dog, etc. She looked at Emma's blood levels and said that she needed to have a blood transfusion immediately due to how low her blood count was. She did say that this can definitely be fatal, especially if Emma's system attacks the new red blood cells they are giving her. If that is the case, Kelly and I have decided that we will not proceed with a second transfusion. Again, please pray that God will handle this situation in the way that is best for Emma's life as a whole. She is truly the one who is suffering. Please just be in prayer.

*One other side note that the ER vet said: Due to the amount of damage this has done to her liver, it is definitely best that she not take phenobarbital anymore. That is what has been controlling her seizures. She also takes potassium bromide, so the vet said that we can increase that and use it as a single agent.

Original post:
Emma started acting like she wasn't feeling well on Monday. She stayed in her crate and slept while Kelly and I got ready for work, and then didn't want to come out when I got home. She had diarrhea in her crate that night, and Kelly and I were up bathing her and cleaning the crate out in the middle of the night. We put her in the bathroom with potty pads down so that she could go if she had to. When I got up, she had peed three times and her urine was really dark.

I cleaned up the bathroom, got ready, put more pads down and went to work (I placed a call to the vet to discuss her condition). I came home at lunch to check on her and she had peed several more times and her urine was red due to blood. I called the vet again and scheduled an appt. for 4 p.m. By that time, Emma was so lethargic and seemed to feel so bad, that I just took a urine and stool sample to the vet's office. They ran tests and said that she has an infection. They gave me three antibiotics and I returned home to immediately give them to her. She wouldn't eat, so I had to put them in organic peanut butter. She didn't eat last night and barely drank anything (I gave her some water out of a medicine dropper.) She laid underneath the bed until it was time for her to sleep on her blankets in the bathroom again.

This morning she didn't get up while Kelly or I got ready. She didn't eat again either (and this is NOT like Emma.) I came home at lunch and cleaned up the bathroom (her urine was bright yellow instead of red). She had diarrhea again so I had to wipe under her little tail and her little bottom was red and looked sore. I called the vet and requested a return call so that I could see what was okay to put on it. Then I noticed that Emma's back legs and stomach were yellow, as if she were so weak that she laid in her urine. I attempted to clean it off as best I could (since I had to go back to work). She decided to get up and she walked very, very slowly to the front door and I let her outside. She went to the bathroom and then collapsed from exhaustion and was laying in the grass. I picked her up and she was completely dead weight. I was carrying her like a baby, and I noticed then that the white part of her eye was yellow. I placed her back on the blankets in the bathroom and got the medicine dropper to give her more water. I lifted her jowl and noticed that the inside of her mouth was yellow. I left to go back to work, but not without placing another call to the vet's office. I spoke with the receptionist, and she said that I needed to immediately bring Emma in. I immediately started crying out of worry, and she could not tell me why/her opinion because she isn't a vet, but that she didn't mean to make me cry. I went back home and my mom came over to help me. (But not without embarrassing myself at work due to crying to explain why I had to turn around and leave again).

We got Emma into the car, and I was in the back with her. I googled "dog's skin is yellow" and multiple websites said liver failure and, of course, I started crying again.

When we arrived at the vet's office, Dr. Schaffer came in and immediately said, "it's either her liver or autoimmune hemolytic anemia." She said that she would rather it be her liver. She ran blood tests and came back and said that she has autoimmune hemolytic anemia. My poor, poor girl. Basically, her immune system is attacking her red blood cells causing them to burst. Her liver isn't able to process all of this, which caused the back-up of bilirubine, causing Emma to turn yellow. Emma is on an IV right now and being pumped full of steroids. She has to go to the ER vet tonight to be monitored and might possibly need a blood transfusion. However, this can be fatal.

I am distraught. I think that sums up how I am feeling the best. Every time I think about making that tough call that might have to be made, I cannot hold back tears. I love this little dog with my entire being. I know it's silly to some people, but I can't help but love her THAT.MUCH. To me, she's the little puppy who caused her mommy tears due to potty-training and needle-like teeth, she's that little puppy who would rather sleep in my lap than in her crate, the one who ate dry-wall (and a few toys), who loves nothing more than to play with Kayla or her dad or her granddad, whose whole little body shakes when she's excited, who would lay in her crate in the morning for as long as you will love on her and starts sighing when you do, she's the ultimate p-face, the one who will bring laughter to any situation, and who I cannot stay mad at to save my own life. Poor Emma, because she's also the one who has had the run of health problems, including bacterial infections, seizures, reaction to seizure medication, a leg injury, a lump on her side, and now this.

When is it okay to make that tough call? When is it supposed to feel "right"? I cannot bear the thought of it. The thought of her not being here when I get home, the thought of walking into the living room and not seeing her sleeping on her daddy, the thought of not taking her over to play with Kayla, the thought of her just not being here.

Please pray for wisdom for Kelly and I to handle this situation in the way that is best for us and for our little beast. I am crying even just typing those words out. OUR.LITTLE.BEAST. As tough as it is to have her, we really could not have asked for a better dog.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T15:25:00.003-05:00

from the Corcorans!

A couple more

2009-04-09T19:03:00.006-05:00

DC pictures that is...

All four of us on the boat:

At the Capitol:

Enjoying a rita:

One last fun shot:

As of today...

2009-04-07T21:43:00.004-05:00

my name is Stacey Lynn

Rangers Opening Day Game

2009-04-07T21:19:00.013-05:00

Kelly, his fam, Justin, Emily, and I went to the Rangers Opening Day game yesterday. Before going, I dressed in a cardigan and Kelly thought it was ridiculous. So, I told him maybe he was right and said that I would put my wool coat on. He said and I quote, "for a Rangers game?" Instead, at his prompting, I grabbed a sweatshirt (but still kept on the cardigan).

It was cold. And by cold, I mean lips turning blue, hands going completely numb, feet feeling like icicles even though I was wearing ski socks cold. It didn't help at all that we were sitting in the shade. THE. ENTIRE. GAME.

(As I sit here typing, Kelly says, "Really Stace? It wasn't even that cold" (in a loving voice, of course). But, I have evidence that will be displayed below to prove that he thought it was just as cold as I did.

Tailgating before the game:

Bro-in-law:

Love the pre-game festivities:

Emily and me in our seats:

And finally...the evidence. Kelly took the cardigan, which didn't initially appear to be Rangers-game-wearing-material, and wrapped it around his cold head to keep warm. Gotta love it!

DC

2009-04-05T20:49:00.010-05:00

Anna, Felicia, and I went to DC to visit Ashley for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The time spent with all three girls was unforgettable. I also had the pleasure of spending time with Jackie (an old friend of mine that I've known since elementary school) who lives there as well and also got to meet some of Ashley's friends.

We took an awesome boat tour on the Potomac:

Saw many a blossom all around Washington:

Saw La Casa Blanca:

Went to Eastern Market:

Love that girl!

And had fun out on the town:

Tomorrow is Rangers Opening Day and Tuesday is the BIG NAME CHANGE! Yowzas! I think I'm finally ready to officially be known as a Corcoran (but still a little sad to no longer have the Lowry moniker.) More Washington photos to come later...I'm pooped!

It is well

2009-03-26T19:56:00.007-05:00

Today, this was my anthem: It Is Well With My Soul (lyrics following). For some reason, the Lord laid this hymn on my heart this morning. I'm not a huge fan of hymns, but I truly love this one. Every time I think of these lyrics, they bring peace.
It reminds me that no matter what life brings me, it is well with my soul. I trust the Lord.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Now for a little background on this hymn. It was penned by Horatio Gates Spafford. Not at a time of happiness, but in a time of extreme sorrow and loss. He had lost his only son at age 4 to scarlet fever. Then in 1871, the great Chicago Fire wiped out all of his real estate. In that time of desperation, he planned a trip to England for his family. The Spaffords traveled to New York where they were to board the French steamer 'Ville de Havre' across the Atlantic. However, just before they were to set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to stay behind. He persuaded his family to go on as planned and that he would meet them later. Anna, his wife, and their four daughters sailed east to Europe while Spafford. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: "Saved alone." The 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn' (an English vessel). All four daughters had drown. Horatio immediately boarded the next ship out of New York to meet his wife. At one point, the captain called Horatio to the bridge. "A careful reckoning has been made", he said, "and
I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep." Horatio
then returned to his cabin and created the lyrics of this hymn.

No Words

2009-03-20T11:16:00.006-05:00

***Update: Since I last wrote, we've made yet another trip to the vet. Only this time, Emma had to stay.
She had 4 seizures after getting her phenobarb injection this morning. In the past, sometimes she's had one after the injection, but never multiple. I called the vet around 12, because she had already had 3, and they said that if she has another one, to bring her back in. Two minutes later, I was loading Emma into the car and we were on our way. When we got there, they gave her a shot of Valium (to help 're-set her circuit board'), a steriod shot and another shot to make her sleepy. She was immediately groggy. They are going to observe her for a couple of hours and then call me. I'm going to try to get some rest until then...

I'm tired. I'm worried. I'm sad. I have no answers and do not know what tomorrow holds for my little Emma (she had another cluster of seizures starting yesterday...we went to the vet this morning. She was given an injection, but has had two seizures since then).

Matthew 11:25-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Chronicles 16:11
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 59:16
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Love

2009-03-18T21:40:00.001-05:00

Emma loves her daddy...she will do this for as long as Kelly will let her:

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2009-03-17T20:24:00.005-05:00

A picture from this morning of the "funfetti" cupcakes that I made last night:

And in honor of St. Patty's, Kelly made me a yummy green drink:

Note: I splurged a little bit on a new handbag, because I worked hard last year and got my bonus check. Kelly obliged my hard work with a "treat" for myself, and then the rest goes into savings. The handbag is partially pictured above.
Our conversation on our way home from dinner (other than the hilarious Britney Spears concert convo over text with Megan):
Kelly: I think I'm going to steal your new handbag and use it as a manbag.
Me: You mean murse.
Kelly: No, I mean nice Italian handbag.
Me: It's not even Italian. It's French.
Kelly: You bought French crap. I'm now going to poop in it.

Passing the Time

2009-03-16T21:41:00.005-05:00

I was in the kitchen quite a bit tonight after my run and Emma's daily walk/play with Kayla. I made some fun St. Patty's Day cupcakes. I had the t.v. on, and I looked up to find Emma just "sitting" on the couch, passing time while her mama baked.

New Find!

2009-03-15T17:05:00.004-05:00

Ashley came home this weekend and the girls (the ones who were available) went to dinner at The Mint. This was the first time any of us had been and it was delicious! Ashley found this restaurant via www.thedailycandy.com. I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant and we all loved their signature Green Tea-Tini.
I'll definitely be going back!

Update

2009-03-04T20:08:00.006-06:00

Married life is great. I love sleeping next to Kelly every night, talking to him in the morning, eating dinner together every night, just spending time with him. I think I've become a little less anal when it comes to things being clean and in place, but Kelly would really have to be the one to attest to that. He was off-work last Tuesday, and when I came home, I was greeted with freshly vacuumed carpets, sparkling mirrors, a shiny dining room table & furniture. It was lovely. It means a lot to me that Kelly would do this without me even asking him to. (My "love language" is acts of service, if you've read the book, but couldn't already tell.) I love him and I think that just grows every. single. day.
He is really such a great support system for me, and I'm blessed to have such a thoughtful and loving best friend as my husband.

Things around here lately have not been so peachy, though. Emma started having seizures on Sunday and we are still dealing with the effects of the phenobarb injection she received on Monday. I gave Emma a stinkin' EDIBLE nylabone on Saturday. The kind that says: No Salt, No Sugar, No Preservatives. Yea, that kind. Well, she chewed that sucker down, and then on Sunday after church and eating with the in-laws, Kelly and I came home to a very unpleasant scene in Emma's crate. I will spare you the details, but we have dealt with that several times this week and once in the middle of the night. Not Fun. So, until she gets better, she has been holed up in the bathroom while we're gone. Just makes for easier clean-up, but it's still getting old. On top of that, she barks and wakes us up at least 5 times a night. She had gotten back to sleeping through the entire night...oh to go back there again. Anyways, the vet thinks she had an allergic reaction to the nylabone, which in turn caused her seizures. We're tired. Very tired. But, as I've said before, mostly sad for her that she has to go through this. No more new treats for Emma. We'll just stick to her dog food, carrots, green beans, and organic peanut butter thankyouverymuch!

As a result of all that's been going on, the following has been my dinner of choice (or should I say breakfast and dinner...I think I've mentioned how much I LOVE cereal and I just recently found this one):

Kelly and I decided to actually cook tonight, and this is what we conjured up:
Pork Chops, oven baked sweet potato fries (very yummy and so easy to make), and a side salad:

It felt nice to eat a cooked meal, but I can tell you that I am looking forward to breakfast tomorrow :-)

Reviews

2009-02-22T15:56:00.006-06:00

Slumdog Millionaire- Eh...good, but not classified as one of the best I've ever seen. I would recommend this movie, but I guess I was a little disppointed, because it had been hyped up so incredibly much. I'm looking forward to seeing how it fares during the Academy Awards tonight.

I've definitely been in a reading mood lately, so I saved the best for last:

I started this novel on Thursday evening and finished it today. I truly became enthralled in this book, and the author, Marisa de los Santos has such a vivid way of writing. I felt Clare's fear/loneliness, Cornelia's warmth/loving nature, Teo's goodness, Martin's disdain for fatherhood. I would highly recommend this book to any avid readers. Up next: Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy (quickly followed by Belong to Me...another book by Marisa de los Santos)!

*** I just finished The Reader (loaned to me many months ago by Stacy) before beginning Love Walked In. When I began reading it, I had no idea that it was the book that the movie is based off of. I haven't seen the movie. I liked the book; the keyword being liked. I hated the ending.

Peach

2009-02-21T10:58:00.004-06:00

Emma is such a peach at the vet's office.

Somehow, someway, after all she's endured there, she still can't get enough.

When I park the car, she tries to jump out of it and literally drags me to the front door. After her examination this morning (for annual shots and to check her phenobarb levels), I took her outside to "potty" before paying (I knew if I didn't there would be a huge price to pay...not talking about money). Right after she got done, she ran to the door longing so desperately to go back inside the office that just administered 4 needles into her body, including one that took blood OUT OF HER NECK. She's crazy, I tell ya. Plain ol' lunatic, that one.

And, she thinks it's her responsibility to personally greet ANYONE and EVERY dog that comes through the door. This is endearing, though, and the people up there just love her.

This was another visit where she came across a wee little puppy. She does the same thing every time. She lays very unassumingly (completely not part of her normal personality) on her belly right under their little nose, as if to say I'm here to love you, not hurt you. It melts my heart. And, as nuts as it sounds, it really makes me want to get her a puppy. Oh, the fun she'd have.

As we were leaving, more like as I was trying to drag my dog back to the car completely against her will...very comical to onlookers I'm sure, there was a huge boxer trying with every muscle he had NOT to have to enter the vet's office. I've got a weird one...

Emma darling-
Mommy is so proud of you and your love for all other people and dogs. Even the lady in the vet's office raved about how friendly you are...

Friday the 13th

2009-02-14T16:01:00.012-06:00

Another genius move on my part...scheduling my eye doctor's exam two hours before Lukey's 3rd birthday party.
I had completely forgotten that he would want to dialate my eyes...when I left their office, my vision was completely blurry, I couldn't put my contacts in until after the party, and...I looked as though I may have partaken in illegal substances, giving way to pupils 4 times their normal size.
Kelly laughed at me when he saw them. Juli laughed as well! I really need to start planning appointment times a little better. I had the day off, so I figured I'd knock out an eye exam as well as go to the PARTAY!
Kelly took yesterday off as well, and we decided that we would celebrate Valentine's Day a little early (since III Forks was booked several weeks back for tonight..well, except for a 10 P.M. reservation. No thanks!).

It was Kelly's first time going to a young child's b-day party, and I think he got a true taste of what it's like. They really are hilarious! Kids provide so much entertainment. Since he had a pirate party, Nick and Juli put fake gold coins in their treasure chests as their favors. One little boy ran over to his mom and said, "monies...now, I can buy ANYTHING I want to." He further insisted that they go shopping right after the party, to which she replied, "No, it's nap time after the party." Cracks me up.

Since Luke has so many toys, I asked Juli what she thought I should get him. She said books. I love children's books. I still vividly remember books from my childhood, so I thought that was the perfect idea. I went to Barnes and Noble and read over books for about an hour. I chose two books from Kelly and me, and one from Emma:

***This book is SO cute (of course I would think so), but I am definitely going back to get another one for any kiddos we might have one day.

Lukey-
Hope you had a great time at your party and that you enjoy your books! We love you, little man!

Kelly is such a sweet, sweet man. He got me these beautiful tulips and a card that brought me to tears:

That evening we enjoyed a wonderful meal at III Forks. We had never been there before, and it was so delectable (as Kelly puts it!). I could eat their III Forks salad every day...as well as the filet mignon!
My mom swung by before dinner to take some pictures of our first Valentine's as husband and wife:

(I think it's time to invest in a better camera...these pictures are quite blurry.)

Happy Valentine's Day, Kelly. I love you more with every passing day (especially when you help around the apartment...haha, had to get that in there, our little joke!)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY ALSO TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY! LOVE YOU!

Hog-tied

2009-02-13T14:10:00.006-06:00

Kelly has started doing this new thing with Emma:

And...you can tell how much she absolutely loves it:

Wedding Tidbits

2009-02-11T21:18:00.012-06:00

These are just a FEW of the reasons why I say my wedding day was the best day of my life:
Ashley's alarm going off an hour early because she was still on DC time, not being able to go back to sleep because I was so excited, spending alone time in the morning with my mom, Ashley hopping into bed with us while we chatted and watched TV, brunch with my mom and closest friends at Breadwinners, being able to treat my mom to getting her hair and make-up done for the first time, having Juli & Olivia, Stacy, Bethany, and Kolleen at the hotel before we left for the chapel, the ride alone with my dad to the chapel, seeing my dress again and putting it on knowing that today is the day that I actually get to wear it, seeing the flowers and how gorgeous they were, smelling them and loving them even more, laughing and getting ready with my bridesmaids in the dressing room, them talking about how they were nervous, the extreme calm I felt, seeing how beautiful my mom looked, my dad seeing me in my dress and telling me I looked beautiful, hearing the music start and knowing that in mere minutes I would be walking down the aisle, seeing my flowergirl stop at the end of the aisle and raise her arms like "what do I do?" in turn making me laugh, the opening of the chapel doors and seeing Kelly and only Kelly the entire way to the front of the chapel, reaching Kelly and him telling me "now, that's a unicorn if I've ever seen one" (you wouldn't understand, but it was so precious), glancing over at Ashley and Stacy during the readings, looking over at my brother and seeing his smile, hearing the angelic voice of Kari singing Ave Maria, the laughs from everyone when Pastor Kinkade said that I admitted that most of our arguments are when I'm hot or hungry...and he recommended to Kelly two things: food and A/C, laughter again when he said that Kelly wanted 7 kids, the kiss, the second kiss!, being pronounced Kelly's wife, everyone clapping as we walked arm in arm out of the chapel, going into the grooms' room afterwards for our first moment alone as husband and wife, everyone in the wedding party joining us and cheering, taking family photos and laughing at how abnormally large our family is, taking fun pictures with the wedding party outside, getting into the limo to head to the reception, getting out of the limo and walking up to Rosine Hall and seeing through the windows the lighting and people gathered, the moments before entering with our bridesmaids and groomsmen and telling them that they MUST do a little "jig" when they get to the dancefloor/the reactions that came with that, our entrance, dancing to At Last and singing it to Kelly, him dipping me at the end of our dance and everyone going wild, my dance with my dear dad and thinking how easy that came, attempting to eat at our sweetheart table which just happened to have everyone passing by it to get food, watching the little kids "dancing" out on the dancefloor together while the adults ate, cutting the cake and wanting so badly to just smudge a little on Kelly's nose because the crowd wanted one of us to with such great intensity, sweetly putting the cake in Kelly's mouth, the toasts from my dad, my mom, and Kelly's dad, seeing Luke wandering around and asking him what he was doing...to have him sadly say "I want my candy" and I couldn't help but laugh, warning all the "Single Ladies" that my bouquet was heavy when I was going to toss it and not to get knocked out, laughing when Kelly went to take the garter off and having to tell him which leg the garter was on so he could find it, seeing Brandi from across the room and making a beeline to get her up and dancing, playing "Pour Some Sugar On Me" for Bethany and Kolleen and having all the girls dance to it, dancing with Felicia, Ashley, Bethany, Juli, Kolleen and Heather, some of my very best friends that I've known forever and just looking at them and thinking how lucky I am to have such great friends, dancing with Kelly and his guys when he dedicated "People Don't Dance No More" by Goodie Mob to them, laughing, laughing, dancing, smiling, laughing, dancing, and smiling, the DJ announcing it was our last dance and thinking that I did not want the night to ever end, our grand exit with bubbles everywhere, getting into the limo to head to the W, having all of your closest friends and family with you, together, on one of the most important days of your life and feeling the extreme, pure love and happiness they feel for you.

Honeymooning, Part Deux

2009-02-11T20:10:00.013-06:00

After spending our days going here, seeing that, riding this and so on at Disney (which was such a great time, but exhausting) we flew to the Bahamas. Nassau, to be exact. When we (un..hmm...I, yes I will admit my error) booked this part of the honeymoon, for some reason I just thought beach = warm/sunny/laying out. This means that I didn't exactly do my research to determine exact temperatures for that time of year (I may have had too many other things on my mind)...shame on me.
After it was booked, we looked it up to check what to bring. Highs in the 70's. Okay, I thought, that's not that bad. Boy, was I wrong!
When we arrived, it was overcast and the highs definitely didn't feel in the 70's. The wind was blowing so strong the entire time, so it more or less felt like the 60's (Kelly was still walking around in shorts and short sleeved shirts). This means that we did not get to enjoy laying out on the beach, soaking up some rays, and complete relaxation.

Although, we did go to downtown Nassau by way of the #10 bus, which was definitely an "experience."

We got a couples massage, which was fantastic and I kept drifting in and out of sleep. On one of my more alert moments, I thought I heard faint snoring. Kelly normally doesn't snore, so I chalked it up to being out of it from how relaxed I was feeling. But, after the massage, Kelly admitted how great the massage was and said,"I think I was even snoring." I just started laughing and told him that I thought I heard him.

We met two new friends, Dave and Lindsey, from Montana (who got married in March of '08). We just clicked immediately, and ate dinner with them one night and went to the piano bar at the resort. We have to try to make a trip soon to visit them. I hear there are tons of fun things to do there...outdoorsy things, so it would be right up our alley!

We ate. A LOT.

We saw the "Limbo King" who was quite entertaining and flexible.

Our very last night in the Bahamas, I was exhausted and we debated just relaxing in our room. We could hear music coming from outside one of the main restaurants. Our window was open and you could see and hear the waves of the ocean. Kelly called me out on the balcony to dance, and there was a band playing the first song for a bride and groom. Immediately after, the band played "At Last" by Etta James. If you were at the wedding, you know that song holds very special meaning for Kelly and myself. It was such a great moment, to dance to our first dance song on the balcony with the stars shining so bright and the sound of the ocean in the background. We then decided to head down because the band was there playing for all the guests at the resort. It was neat to watch and dance with the bridal party, because we knew what a big night it was for them. Everyone obviously knows a wedding is special for the bride and groom, but ever since I have had my own wedding, the significance really reasonates with me. Kelly and I talked about it that night, because we know and have experienced firsthand what a person feels at their wedding. I can say without a doubt, that has been the best day of my life so far. I know that sounds cliche, but that is how I really feel.

Sorry, that was long-winded.
A couple of pictures:

Remember the engagement duck, well, this is our honeymoon bird who tried to attack me several times while I was eating.

Our last night in the Bahamas:

Would post more, but I don't have the energy tonight. Nighty-night!

To "Aunt" Ashley...from Emma

2009-02-09T18:06:00.003-06:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happiness

2009-02-05T17:53:00.071-06:00

So, the last post was about my disappointment that the wedding discs hadn't arrived. Last Thursday, they did. And I was happy. Very, very happy. Cesar Perez got some great shots, and I'm going to share them with you here!
These are just some of my favorites, but there were over 700 photos, so I obviously can't share them all.

Pre-ceremony:

My "something blue." I got boy shorts and you can barely see, but they were embroidered with Mrs. Corcoran on the butt of them!

The girls in the bride's room with Pastor Kinkade saying a word of prayer:

My Ashley and me:

Chatting with my little flowergirl, K:

Loved this angle of her little dress:

The girls:

My fam and me in some of my last moments as an official Lowry:

Ceremony:
Love this:

My handsome bro and gorgeous mom:

Too cute:

Right before we were going to walk into the chapel:

All I could focus on was him:

I love this picture so incredibly much. Even though you can't see Kelly's face, I can FEEL his emotion in this picture. He told me that he had to look down several times because he felt so overwhelmed and didn't want to "lose it":

My dad hugging Kelly after the ceremony:

After ceremony shots:

My new and larger family:

Want to talk about big families? This is my mom and dad's sides combined (and this still isn't everybody!):

Kelly's grandmother and Aunt Mary:

Me and the boys:

We couldn't get little "M" to smile, but it makes for such a cute picture anyways:

Love these:

Reception:
Our entrance:

The end of our first dance:

Dancing with my dad:

Love this man:

During the toasts (I never really knew what my laugh looked like before all the wedding photos, but there are so many of me that look just like this):

Right after cutting the cake:

The garter:

Just in case you didn't believe me when I said that the dance floor was PACKED all night long:

More fun dance photos:

Love this one of Bethany. This is her during Pour Some Sugar on Me, dedicated from me to her and Kolleen (given that they have made me listen to that song 2,861,359 times):

Kelly's cousin, Paul, breaking it down on the dance floor:

The hubby showing off his moves:

Dancing with my mama:

Not sure exactly what is going on here, but Skip seems to second my sentements!

One of our last dances of the night:

Singing Black Water by the Doobie Brothers (Corcoran tradition):

Leaving the reception:

Disappoinment

2009-01-26T16:31:00.011-06:00

I have to admit that I am a little disappointed this afternoon. I rushed home to let Emma out and check the mail to see if the disc had arrived. The disc with many, many wedding photos. But alas, it has not yet gotten here. I expect that it will be here tomorrow. Until then, check out Perez Photography's blog with pictures from the wedding (same as in the slideshow, though).

www.perezblog.net

I'm pretty much posting them all here, so I guess no need to go to their blog!

My mom helping me up the stairs to take pictures before the ceremony:

Me getting ready prior to:

One of my best friends and Maid of Honor, Ashley and me talking before the ceremony:

The cutest little ring-bearer (Kelly's cousin's son) and flowergirl (my cousin's daughter):

Vows:

Self-explanatory!

I LOVE this one..."K" is so incredibly adorable in her daddy's coat (it was a little chilly out!):

Again, self-explanatory:

Kelly and I dancing towards the end of the night. Love this one because you can see the back of my dress:

Major shout-out to my friend, Megan. She did all of the flowers for the wedding and they were absolutely no less than AMAZING! Thanks again, Megan. I couldn't have pictured anything more beautiful!

A few details:
The candy buffet (which many kids, as well as adults seemed to enjoy):

The "ring shot" on Kelly's groom's cake. Gotta love the Cowboy field cake!

So Blessed

2009-01-25T19:16:00.009-06:00

Kelly and I have been talking quite a bit lately about how blessed we are...blessed to have each other, blessed to have the families and friends we do. We are also blessed with earthly possessions that we have received lately due to the wedding, even though we realize that those things will not last forever.

This weekend we attended a "Kicking Off the New Year Party" for Kelly's work. They had raffles there and we each got a ticket. Not long into it, they called out my ticket number for a $100 American Express giftcard. Towards the end of the raffle, they called out a prize package for a one night stay in the JFK suite at the Hilton hotel (which also includes a chilled bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, breakfast for two in the Cafe Texas, and parking) and a $100 gift card to Ruth's Chris Steak House. A gentleman who works in Austin won the prize and they went on to the next one. The owner joked that someone might be able to bargain with the guy who won the package above, since he doesn't live in the Dallas area. Right after that, Kelly won a $250 gift card for Snap On tools. At a break, Kelly asked the guy if he wanted to change. He knew we were newlyweds, asked us how long we had been married, and then handed over his package. He wasn't even going to take Kelly's $250 gift card, so Kelly offered him the $100 American Express, which thankfully, he accepted. Towards the end of the party, they put all the raffle tickets back into the pot for several big prizes. The VERY SAME guy who was so kind to us, won a Panasonic blue-ray player. Good deeds do not go unnoticed by the big guy upstairs! They had a great guest speaker, and it was great to hear the owner of the company speak. He is a strong Christian man, who is more than willing to tell anyone about what he believes in and strongly believes in working with integrity. He also stated that it is ALL God's money in the first place, and showed how his company has donated to missions in India buildling water wells so that they would have clean water to drink. He has even gone there himself. I am so thankful that Kelly is working for a godly man and company.

Today, Kelly and I took all of our gift certificates to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and got some big purchases.
Drumroll please....

I got...TA DA:

I am SO excited about this mixer, even though Kelly wasn't thrilled about it.

Kelly got a really nice Wusthof knife set! So, it's even!

Honeymooning, Part 1

2009-01-24T15:04:00.038-06:00

I figured that I have already posted things out of order a little bit, so until I get the disc with all wedding pictures from our photographer, I thought I would go ahead and post about our honeymoon.

As most of you know, Kelly and I finally agreed to go to Disney World and the Bahamas. Well, in reality, we ended up all over the globe!

When we first arrived in Florida, on 01/11/09, we were given these buttons:

Little did we know, that those buttons would get us the "special" treatment.

We stayed with the wilds of Africa right outside our bedroom window:

The first night, we went to Magic Kingdom, and I felt like a little girl again. I was mesmorized by the castle...dorky, I know:

There I also found a boyfriend for Emma:

And a new BFF for me:

The following day:

On Monday, 01/12/09, we ate at the Coral Reef Cafe, where we met Leroy (who kindly decided to sit and stay a while):

From there, we went to Mexico:

I warned Kelly not to drink the water:

Then we hopped on over to Norway, where I made another friend and shared a drink:

Then, I met a handsome Chinaman:

And my very own Indiana Jones:

Overall, Epcot was quite the place to be!

On Tuesday, we headed to Animal Kingdom and Universal Studios:
We saw the "Tree of Life"

We rode a bunch of rides, went on a "safari," and Kelly "pimped" our Just Married button all day, which got us front row seats at the car stunt show:

That night we went to eat at an Irish pub and hung out at Pleasure Island:

Later, I pimped my pj's at the hotel:

On our final day in Florida, we headed over to Universal Studios. I'm so glad that we did, because they had some of the best rides! I could feel the excitement just by looking at Kelly's face on the ride over, so I thought I had to share it with you guys:

Our last night at Disney World, we went to Tutto de Italia (at Epcot), where we ate the best food we had eaten the whole trip!

My "signature" pose:

Looking back on this part of the trip, I truly think that if you asked Kelly what he enjoyed the most, he would say my photography and serenading skills. And, I have the pictures to prove it:

Last Week of Freedom

2009-01-23T17:26:00.014-06:00

I have been off-work since Jan. 1st, to prepare for the wedding, have the wedding, go on my honeymoon, and then get accustomed to married life. Today is officially my last day of freedom (well except for the weekend, but I wouldn't be working anyway). Deep sigh...I have to return to work on Monday. I have been loving this life, and in fact, I asked Kelly if I could be a stay-at-home wife, or as Juli's sister, Laurin, refers to it, a stay-at-home hottie (Juli informed me of this yesterday).

I could be so good at that. Ample time to do laundry, work-out, get plenty of beauty rest, AND have dinner cooked for Kelly every night of the week. But alas, that will not be the life I will be leading.

But, I'll give you a look into the life that I've had this past week:

I've been doing a little bit of this:

(cleaning, organizing, putting out some wedding gifts, finding places for Kelly's belongings)

A lot of this (with still tons more to do):

Have I mentioned before that the above is my very least favorite thing to do??? So, that is why there is still tons more to do. Please also note that most of the clothing in that picture is Kelly's...part of the role of being a wife.

I've even been doing a little bit of this (they may not look as pretty as "real" Sprinkles cupcakes, but they taste every bit the part):

And even made our first home-cooked meal as husband and wife:

Look at the excitement on Kelly's face:

All the while Kelly has been doing this:

Only kidding, Kelly went back to work on Tuesday!

I've had a nice 3 1/2 hour lunch with Anna, half a day "play-date" with Luke and Olivia (oh, and their mommy, Juli).
So, I've begged and pleaded to not have to return to work, but, that's exactly where I'll be come Monday. Back to life, back to reality!

Wedding Slideshow!!!

2009-01-22T19:03:00.003-06:00

I received the following wedding slideshow today from our photographer, Cesar Perez. I think he did a fantastic job!
He is mailing me the final disc with ALL the pictures (because these do not even come near to the total amount of pictures he took). I hope you all enjoy!

http://staceyandkelly.com

I will be posting my favorites after we receive the disc and also share some honeymoon pictures.

Stolen Wedding Photos

2009-01-21T13:48:00.014-06:00

Since I obviously didn't have my own camera, I have taken more pictures from friends, Ashley, Juli, and Anna.
Once I get the professional pictures back, I will post a full entry about the events the day of the wedding and exactly how I was feeling. For now, I leave you with these:

The girls at the rehearsal dinner:

The wedding party:

Kelly waiting for me at the end of the aisle:

The vows:

The kiss (or should I say second kiss...we couldn't have just one, you know! Everyone got a kick out of that! If you look closely you can see everyone smiling really big/laughing):

Our entrance into the reception:

First dance as husband and wife:

Dancing with my dad:

Juli and me:

My brother and mom dancing at the beginning of the reception:

Stacy (Matron of Honor) and her husband, Scott:

Keith and Kolleen (bridesmaid):

I know I have already said this, but I cannot wait to see the rest of the pictures of the entire day.
However, I am really looking forward to the dancing pictures! We got the largest dance floor that the Arboretum had to offer, and it was way too small! Everyone was dancing the entire night, which means there are sure to be a ton of fun/funny pictures!

We're Married!

2009-01-18T21:10:00.006-06:00

I am now officially Mrs. Corcoran (look for a blog title change sometime soon). We got back in from our honeymoon early this evening, and I "stole" a picture from Anna, since I don't have pictures yet. I just wanted to post one picture tonight because we are both completely and utterly exhausted. More to come with all the wedding details!

Side-notes:
**Emma is much better now. Her medication was increased and she has not had anymore seizures.
**I got an e-mail from our wedding photographer and we should be receiving all the pictures early next week! I cannot WAIT to see them all.

Poor Emma

2009-01-07T06:46:00.006-06:00

I know in my last post I promised bachelorette party pics. I just haven't had the time nor the energy, even though I have been off-work since Jan. 1st! There are only 3 days left before the wedding, including today. I have been so incredibly busy running here, picking this up, dropping this off. Last night, I met with both the wedding coordinator for the ceremony and the wedding coordinator for the reception. Both women are so "on top of things," and it is really coming together. Now, I have to pack for the honeymoon, tie ribbons on programs, go to Bliss, etc. Pictures of the bachelorette party and everything will have to wait until after we get back from our honeymoon.

However, this post really has nothing to do with the wedding.

I had lowered Emma's dosage of phenobarbitol for her seizures, at the vet's recommendation, due to her waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to hold her urine. The medication also would sedate her pretty badly. She has been fine, to my knowledge, until yesterday. I went to the grocery store and when I returned home, there was foam on her pillow in her crate. I thought she might have had a seizure, because she foams at the mouth when that occurs. I put all of her bedding into the washing machine to wash it. My matron of honor, Stacy, came over to pick up some ribbons to take to Bethany, one of my bridesmaids. When she arrived, Emma would not stop *pestering* her and wanted her full attention. Because we had things to do, I put Emma in her crate so that we could accomplish them. We were in the back of my apartment, and I heard what I thought was Emma scratching at the floor of her crate. I ran into the living room, and sure enough, she was having a seizure. Stacy helped me talk to her during the seizure, and when it was over, I opened the crate door and she came out. I began cleaning out her crate. Emma was stumbling about and wondered into the kitchen. She walked in her water, and then about 5 minutes later, began having another seizure on the kitchen floor. When that one was over, she was wondering about the entire about apartment and I thought she may have to go to the bathroom. She was still acting quite strangely, so Stacy and I took her outside. She wondered into the grass a little ways away from us. And then, it happened again. I ran inside, immediately called the vet and they recommended that I bring her in right then, so I did. Kelly met me at the vet's office because I was such a wreck.
The vet said that we need to increase the medication back up a little, and added Potassium Bromide to the equation. He said that for any brain damage to occur, the seizures would have had to have lasted anywhere between 5-8 minutes each, but Emma's were only about 1 1/2- 2 minutes. Dr. Marcum also said that he could refer her to a neurologist, but they would run about $2000 worth of tests, just to tell me that she has epilepsy. He said that if she had a brain tumor, she would have seizures more than one day a month or so. He basically just said that it is about finding the right balance of medications so that she and I have a good quality of life together. Last night was absolutely not that for either of us.

As I said previously, I had to meet with two wedding coordinators last night, after Emma's long day. My gracious neighbor, Ashley, willing volunteered to watch her while I was gone. While Emma was at her apartment, she had two more seizures. I really had hoped that she would be done. I got home around 10:30 and picked Emma up. I ate a little bit, because I hadn't eaten since lunch, made her bed, and pulled her crate back to the door of my room. Emma; however, had decided that she wanted to lay under my bed. I got ready for bed, and laid down. By that time, it was about 11:40. It wasn't about two minutes later that she began having a seizure. When she was done, I was talking to her and trying to get her to come out from underneath the bed, and she was staring upwards (it was almost as if she thought I was talking to her from above). Words cannot express how much I hate to see her so disoriented. She finally came out and I put her back into her crate and closed the door. I fell asleep, as did she, but she woke me up about 1:00 A.M. barking. I figured that she might have to go outside. I got her out and tried to get her to go outside, but she proceeded to pee in the middle of the living room, right in front of me. The medication (because I had to give her three doses yesterday) really makes her out of it, and when she has to pee, the doctor said that she will just go where she goes until her body gets used to it.
So, I cleaned that up, and put her back to bed. She had another seizure at 3:15, 4:10, 4:45, and 6:30. Needless to say, it has been a hard night, for my little girl, who is probably feeling so incredibly miserable, and myself. I've had very little sleep and have done a lot of cleaning in the middle of the night.
Luckily, I am going back to sleep now. I have fed Emma, and given her phenobarbitol and Potassium Bromide. I am praying that it will stop her seizures. I can deal with cleaning up pee until she gets used to the medication at the level we are giving it to her, but I really don't want to deal with seeing her go through the torture of repeated seizures, followed by walking into walls, not knowing where she is going, etc. Not to mention, the baby is so tired, that she will stand up and her body will sway and she closes her eyes (like she is going to go to sleep standing). Poor girl. As soon as she nods off to a good sleep, she is awaken by a seizure. I feel so badly for her. And I hate to say this, because I am really hoping that the seizures will stop before the wedding, because if they don't, I am going to feel horrible about leaving her for a week.

I ask again that you would all pray for my little beast.

Bad Blogger

2008-12-30T14:37:00.003-06:00

I know, I know...a whole week without a post. I can't help it.
There is just so much going on right now. But, tomorrow is my last day at work until well...around Jan. 22nd! So, hopefully, I will get to update very soon with pictures.

A few short tidbits:
The wedding is only 11 days away. I am stressed, excited, and nervous, all rolled into one. I feel like my days are really consumed at this point with the details of it all.

Christmas was excellent. Kelly and I decided to spend this Christmas with our own families, instead of doing the Christmas "shuffle" as I call it, since it would be our last to be able to do that. It was so great to have a relaxing day (without any wedding planning) with my dad, mom, and brother.

I saw Marley and Me. I read the book close to two years ago, and ever since I heard they were making a movie, I've been waiting for it to appear on the big screen. It was a very cute movie filled with many mixed emotions. The book was better, but is anyone really surprised by that?

My bachelorette party was this past Saturday night. My matron of honor, Stacy Carter, was the host, and she really outdid herself. The lingerie shower was fun AND funny. I got some really great stuff, but that cannot be shared here :-) Then we went to Mattito's to eat and then out downtown. It was a long, fun-filled night! Sunday...not so much.

The Cowboys really disappointed. That's all I have to say about that.

Pictures of the bachelorette party to come soon!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T18:27:00.005-06:00

From my team members at work to you! HAHA!

Holy Moly

2008-12-20T18:51:00.002-06:00

Three weeks and counting. I am seriously dumbfounded when I think about it. Time is going by so quickly!

She loves her daddy!

2008-12-20T16:26:00.002-06:00

Kelly fell asleep watching TV at my apt. Emma jumped up there to go to sleep on him. Love it.

Geez

2008-12-19T17:27:00.012-06:00

I feel like a major slacker.
Due to the wedding, I have to admit that I did not have Christmas cards made and none will be sent out to friends and family. I do hope, though, that each of you has the most joyous Christmas filled with love, laughter, and family! If I had one more thing on my plate to do, I think I would have a complete mental breakdown. There are still so many tiny details to be done in the next three weeks, but luckily my mom and her best friend have been helping so much.

The reason for this post is because I checked my mail today for the first time in a while, and I received the following Christmas cards. Can I just say that I have some beautiful friends, who have beautiful families and who are so creative! These are some of the cutest Christmas cards I have ever seen and thought they HAD to be shared (hope that no one minds!)

Christmas Party, Take 3

2008-12-14T20:44:00.009-06:00

My mom and I attended another Christmas party this afternoon. Anne and Bryan hosted a great party, which had lots of yummy food and wine, but I must tell ya, baby S stole the show (at least for my mom and me):

And one more because it's hilarious:

And have I mentioned that when the time comes, my mom is going to make an outstanding grandma (which includes lots of date nights for me and Kelly...yippee)? Well, she is.

Dude

2008-12-12T18:23:00.003-06:00

We just might have a future skateboarder in the family!
While on our nightly walk, Emma and I ran into a guy who was skateboarding. She was highly fascinated by the board. As soon as she saw him on it, she stared, probably trying to figure out exactly what was going on.
She proceeded to run over to him, and sniff the board, much to my surprise because truth be told, she is afraid of anything that is out of the ordinary. (Example: the trash can lid, because that is SO out of the ordinary haha) It's hilarious...I'll save that for another post.

She then put her front foot on it and it slid forward. She paused, and then put both front feet on it and kind of followed it for a short bit.
So, I have decided what Emma's Christmas present will be!

Watch out world, Emma just may be "shreddin" in a few months, just like fellow bullie Tyson:

Lowry Christmas Party

2008-12-08T18:22:00.012-06:00

Pre-party:

My cousin Lindsay and her husband, Justin, and Kelly and me (parked right in front of the TV for the Cowboy game...what a disappointment):

My cousin Doug, with the newest edition to the Lowry family, Bradyn:

The fam (unfortunately without Greg):

The Lowry Boys, minus one:

Uncle Charlie and Emma:

And last, but not least, a picture of me and my Emma:

Annual Corcoran Christmas Party

2008-12-07T12:28:00.020-06:00

Soon to be husband and wife...only around one month!

Kelly, me, and my pops:

Me with Justin and Emily's youngest, Ava. She has to be one of the cutest little girls ever. I LOVE that red hair! We tried numerous attempts to get her to smile for the camera, but there was just too much going on!

Emily and Justin (one of Kelly's groomsmen):

Gloria and Kelly:

Madelyn and Emily. Like mother, like daughter. Too cute:

Singing "Proud Mary":

Me and Kolleen:

Keith and Kolleen (I debated even posting this one, due to Kolleen's "guns up"):

Don't you love the sheer look of confusion on their faces?

Now on to the Lowry Christmas party today!

Boredom

2008-12-05T15:59:00.010-06:00

So, what do you do when you get bored?
Do you go running?
Do you go get a manicure?
Do you read?
Do you take a nap?

I normally go running, or shopping, or find some sort of "errand" I need to run.

But, Emma...oh no, not Emma.

When Emma gets bored, this is her favorite pasttime:

What can I say, the girl has a "knack" for destroying things. This WAS a "hat box", that I used to hold blankets in my living room. Not anymore. Now, the lid has been shred into tiny little pieces all over my living room floor. What I am going to do with her?

Here is Emma literally groveling at my feet for forgiveness...it is so hard to stay mad at this little face:

Side-note: Emma is now on phenobarbital, and has not had any more seizures. They are going to recheck her bloodwork again in 30 days.

Definitely not "out of the woods" yet

2008-12-03T08:30:00.006-06:00

Emma had two more seizures last night.
One at 12:11, and that also was followed by vomitting and pooping in the house. I think I may have found the culprit of the seizures. She has been eating the potting soil out of my plant and I believe that this has fertilizer in it. This is probably too much to share, but it was in her vomit.
After the clean-up, I pulled her bed to the entrance of my room and laid with her until she was back to sleep. I woke up again at 5:14 because she was in the middle of another seizure. I tried my best to comfort her, but there is really not much you can do. She peed in her bed during the seizure, so I had to change everything out. I then laid with her again to get her to go back to sleep.
Kelly is taking her to the vet this morning, since it is his day off.

Last night, I felt like I had a child...it was like clockwork. I was up every 5 hours.

Another Rough Week Ahead

2008-12-02T20:07:00.008-06:00

Well, my throat started getting sore again this afternoon, and my nose literally feels like a faucet. Back to the doctor for me tomorrow morning.

When I got home from work today around 3:35, I noticed that Emma had pooped in the middle of the living room. She NEVER does this. And when I say never, I mean NEVER. Not since the potty-training stage. My first thought...she had a seizure and just could not hold it afterwards. I cleaned up the mess and was hoping that my prior thought was wrong. Then tonight, I was on the phone with Kelly around 7:40 or so. Emma had already gotten in her bed, which I thought was strange. I was in the kitchen and could see into the living room. I noticed that her right ear began to twitch pretty strongly/quickly, so I told Kelly that I thought Emma was about to have a seizure and hung up the phone. As I made it around the corner, my poor baby was in full seizure mode. Her whole body was tense and violently shaking, her mouth was biting over and over again.
After this stage, she stuck her tongue out, was foaming at the mouth, and her tongue started to turn black as she tried to breathe really deeply. Her eyes said it all, she was so very scared. The whole thing lasted from 7:44-7:46.
After the seizure was over, she began to look around the room that should be oh so familiar to her, but she seemed so lost.
I talked to her and loved on her, but she remained disoriented for a while. I then called Kelly crying. I just hate that she has to go through this. Back to the vet for Emma tomorrow, and they will now likely put her on medications to prevent the seizures.

All of this and a ton of wedding planning/errands still to do. I'm trying to remain positive amidst it all.

I pray that the Lord gives me the health and strength to get through this week gracefully and watches over my little Emma :-)

40 days

2008-12-01T10:54:00.005-06:00

until the wedding!
I am so incredibly excited that I can barely stand it. The wedding/to do's is basically all that I can think about these days.
As much as I am looking forward to the wedding, I am looking forward to life going back to normal...to be able to leave work without stress that there is something else that I HAVE to do; to have my Saturdays back; to not have a million little thoughts going through my head at any given moment about needing to pick up this ribbon or decide who will set up the candy bar at the wedding; what menu to have at the bridesmaid luncheon; what type of tea lights to get for the tables; scheduling a dress fitting and possibly getting my shoes dyed, etc. Trust me too, there is definitely an etc. to this short list above.
When I got engaged, I had absolutely no idea how much work goes into planning a wedding, but I know without a doubt that it will be completely worth it that day.
And I cannot wait until THAT day.

Let the final countdown officially begin!

Happiness is...

2008-11-26T23:33:00.004-06:00

(In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the following are a few things I am grateful for. In no particular order.)
1. a warm comfy bed to sleep in.
2. a loving family.
3. Kelly.
4. friends who stand by your side through thick and thin.
5. Emma.
6. a gracious God.
7. my friends' children, so that I can live vicariously until I have my own :-)
8. turkey, dressing, and the works.
9. my job, stressful as it is, it pays well and allows for mucho vacation time.
10. the Christmas spirit.
11. coffee.
12. blogging.
13. chocolate bavarian torte.
14. running.
15. my kindergarten class at church.
16. cold days so that the fireplace gets some use.
17. being healthy and of sound mind.
18. a funfilled and safe upbringing.
19. helping others.
20. knowing that our wedding is only 44 days away (and as much work/tears/stress have gone into planning it and knowing that much more is sure to come in the next month, I'm so very thankful that we will be able to have such a wonderful wedding with our family and friends as witnesses).

Our China

2008-11-26T23:25:00.004-06:00

Love, love, love:

Welcome Baby Julia!

2008-11-23T08:10:00.004-06:00

My dear friend and co-worker, Michelle at Bun Quest, had her sweet baby girl Julia last night at 10:17.
I could not be happier for the new mommy and daddy!
Michelle is a warrior and wanted to experience the birthing process without any medications (due to the lower chances of any type of intervention..think c-section, epiziotomy), and she made it!
I am so proud of her. And she did it all in just 2 hours, 45 minutes of labor, and an hour and a half of pushing!

Michelle-
Words really cannot express how very happy I am for you both (even though I tried on the phone without a voice!). Happy is not even the appropriate word...more like elated and so overjoyed that I could cry! I cannot wait to meet/hold/love on the sweet, sweet baby Julia. It sounds (from what you told me she's doing) like she is going to have her mommy's inquisitive mind! I hope to see you guys next Friday or Saturday! I'll be praying for little Julia to be able to leave the NICU very soon!
Love you guys!

Wedding Shower/ Take Two

2008-11-22T15:57:00.038-06:00

Today I attended my family/family friends wedding shower (aka reunion for my sweet mama, as one of her friends said).
It was so wonderful to spend time with both sides of my family.

They had placecards there with everyone's name on them, but not for seating arrangements...only for guests to write a piece of advice on for me and my upcoming marriage. I'll share some of my favorites with you (verbatim):

"Never go to bed angry. Always talk about it after. Remember no marriage is 50/50 every day. Pick your battles."
- Aunt Betty

"This is something my mom has been telling me for years: Pick your battles. Even though you may want to win all of them, think about what you are actually arguing about. Is is really worth it? Be supportive on rough days- and remember that feeling you had of first falling in love with each other!"
- Betty's daughter and my cousin, Carla

"When you get upset, hug Emma and count till 10"
- Kelly's Great Aunt Mary

"Before you commit to anything, large or small, always discuss it with each other. Always have respect for each other- you're different people and good at different things. Respect that always"
- "Gee" aka Kelly's mom, Gloria, and momma-law

"Learn to share thoughts, housework, have fun and be close to each other at all times."
- "Mom Mom" aka Kelly's Grandmother, Betty

"Remember to always tell him you love him and kiss him good morning and good evening. Every day! Even after you have been married 25 years. Thank God for each other every day and always remember to put God first."
- Carol Dobbs, my old next door neighbor since I was born and one of my mom's best friends

" One of the things that took me a while to figure out...Don't sweat the small stuff. Life is too short to argue about the trivial things. Marriage is an amazing, rewarding challenge. I am so happy for you."
- Rose Lowry, my cousin Doug's sweet wife (This is advice that I really need to heed...a cup left on the endtable/crumbs on the counter/etc...I need to tell myself the advice she gave me to overcome my OCD!)

"Remember the things you love about him, and don't try to change the little things that irritate you- you can't change him anyway- you'll just frustrate both of you if you try!"
- Paula Lawson, my friend Bethany's mom

"Never go to bed angry. Always fight fair. Never bring up the past "issues." Read the Bible together. Always support one another. Have a blast- laugh, be silly, and cherish all memories. Celebrate your love every day. Soul mates are hard to find!"
- Angie Simmons, my cousin

"Daughter, Treat each other as you would want to be treated. Remember that love never fails. I love you and Kelly with all my heart."
- My dear mom, Wanda

"Have lots of sex."
- A dear friend of mine...I'll leave it anonymous :-)

"Have fun, enjoy your wedding day and every day after that. And don't forget about your best friend Bethany."
- None other than, well...Bethany (How could I ever forget you?)

"Well, I've never been married so I wouldn't know what to say, except y'all are a beautiful couple which means you'll have even beautiful-er children."
- My cute cousin, Jourdan, 16 ( I loved the beautiful-er)

And last, but CERTAINLY not least:
"1. Make him change the dipers. 2. Always love him even in fights."
- My adorable cousin, Madison, 8
(First of all, I must say that we are not expecting...which is an understatement, haha, but since getting on birth control a few months ago in preparation, I am horrible at remembering to take it, so we might be very shortly after the wedding. Oh, Kelly would kill me!) (On another note, my cousin Jeff's wife...Madison's mommy...has taught her daughter well. Now to figure out how she got Jeff to change all the diapers. HAHA!)

After the shower, my mom read one of her prayers for me over all these years (which she didn't have the opportunity to read at the shower):
The Virtuous Wife
Proverbs 31: 10-12

Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband safely trusts her:
So he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
29-30
Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.
Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting,
But a woman who fears the Lord,
shall be praised.

So sweet. I want to be and will be the Virtuous Wife. I make a promise to myself and Kelly to be just that.

Now on to pictures!

The cake table:

The cake (which matched the invitation...too cute!):

My mom, me and my Aunt Mary Ann:

Some of the lovely "Lowry" ladies:

My mom, her sisters and me:

My little flower girl, Katie (almost spitting image of me when I was younger) and me:

Aunt Mary, Gloria, me, and Betty:

3/5 of my bridesmaids (I must say that I LOVE Juli's hair!):

Gloria and Betty:

Donna and me:

Betty "Mom Mom" and me:

Aunt Mary and me:

Gloria and me:

My mommy and me:

Opening gifts:

By the middle of it, I had a little helper (notice Katie helping to open presents...she is so adorable!):

Wedding invites

2008-11-21T17:56:00.004-06:00

Ta Da....

The outside:

The inside (with some information blurred out):

Emma Update

2008-11-18T17:29:00.004-06:00

The vet called around 2, and let me know that most of Emma's bloodwork came back completely fine.
She said that there was something that "caught her eye," though. She said that there was an enzyme (or something of the sort) that was elevated. This specific enzyme meant that Emma has had an allergic reaction to something.
She recommended that I give her Benadryl twice daily for the next couple of days.

She also said that allergic reactions can cause their little bodies to do all sorts of things, including seizures.
But, she again told me, that this could have triggered early onset of seizures (if the dog is already pre-disposed to having them), so it doesn't mean that she won't have more.

I am just going to have to watch her for the next few days very closely, and if she has another one, she will likely have to go on medication to control them. It is still possible, though, that she will not have anymore.

I am trying to think, in the meantime, if I have changed anything around the apartment. I cannot come up with anything.

Although, Sunday afternoon, Emma's best friend came to the door to play.
Her bestie:

Kelly took her outside and her friend Kayla began to eat something off the ground. Her owner told her to stop, so she did. Emma then went over and started eating it and ran from Kelly when he tried to take it away. So, we have no idea what she ate, but it possibly had fertilizer or something on it. That is the only change/incident that I can think of.

Thank you so much for caring about my little Emma! You guys are too kind, and I greatly appreciate all the support!

Please Pray

2008-11-17T20:44:00.007-06:00

I know that some people think that a dog is just that....a dog.
But, I love my little Emma so much. So very, very much.

This morning at about 6 A.M., she had a seizure. The stiff, but shaking violently, eyes rolled back in her head, tongue out and turning blue, and foaming at the mouth seizure. I was panicked. She was in her big bed when it happened, and she peed in her bed, which is something that she just doesn't do. Afterwards, she was so disoriented, and I could tell that she was frightened.

I immediately went online and started researching the causes, what I should do, etc.
I then fed her, and while she was eating, she would stop, turn in a full circle slowly, all the while looking around trying to figure out where she was and what was going on (or so it seemed).

Every time I think about it, I start to cry. She is my child, until I have actual children, and I will still love her just as much as I do know (although I know it will be different than how you love your actual child...I just can't imagine that right now because I love her that much). I took her to the vet, and we discussed what had happened, what it meant, and they took bloodwork.
I should know the results tomorrow. Until then, I googled the crap out of it. Some things I read reassured me that everything is going to be fine, others frightened me even more.

While I was at the vet's office, she told me to make sure to keep her somewhere safe while I was at work so if she had another seizure, she wouldn't hurt herself. I decided to put her in her crate, with extra pillows and sheets and begrudgingly left for work. I was nervous to come home. But, when I opened the door, my sweet Emma woke up and stared at me. I took a sigh of relief, but not for long. As I opened her crate, I realized that she had peed in it. She never, and I mean NEVER does this. I am assuming that she had another seizure while I was at work today. This saddens me even more, because that means that she was scared and was alone.

Luckily, tomorrow is Kelly's day off-work, so he is going to come and sit with her.

So, long story short, please pray for my little four-legged, dry-wall eating, face-licking, cute as can be Emma. I pray that this is not something that happens again.

SIX

2008-11-15T19:07:00.009-06:00

I've been tagged. On two separate occasions:
Carolina at Seizin' the Day. The challenge: tell 6 quirky things about myself.
Juli at Luke and Olivia. The challenge: tell 7 random facts about yourself.

This is what I'm going to do: tell everyone 6 things, whether they are random or quirky (most likely both)...because we all know it takes time to try to think of "off-kilter" things about ourselves. I mean, we are our "norm". Right?
Here's my attempt:

1. I bite the inside of my mouth. But...only when driving. I have no idea why I started (but I blame my friend Stacy B., because she does the very same thing, just not while driving). It takes me either chewing gum or eating a mint to stop. Very annoying, but it seems to be something that I have no control over.

2. I hate any morsel of fat or the white veiny things (gross) in chicken. So, anytime I eat a grilled chicken breast, I cute all of the edges off. Every time. Kelly eats them for me.

3. I like things clean, which if you read my blog even somewhat regularly, you are aware of this. However, right after I get done deep cleaning my apartment, I walk from room to room to inspect. And, I STILL feel like it isn't clean.

4. I am borderline obsessed with having white teeth. I use the whitening mouth rinse, whitening toothpaste, and chew whitening gum. I never buy gum, unless it says *whitening*. Even though I know the stuff probably does not work.

5. I eat cereal for a meal probably anywhere between 6-8 times per week. I crave the stuff. The other night, Kelly made pork chops, tilapia, and grilled veggies. What did I eat? My beloved Special K.

6. I cannot stand having anything on my hands that isn't supposed to be. When I eat, if it is with my hands, I wipe them on my napkin every time I touch something. The end result: if it is a throw-away napkin, it normally looks like it has been shredded to pieces by a wild beast because I use it so much.

So, I will now tag 6 people, but no pressure...

Stephanie G.
Stacy C. update your blog...this gives you a reason :-) (I guess the no pressure above does NOT apply to you!)
Katey F. (you've been tagged twice now...sorry)
Michelle Y.
Trista H.
Jennifer H.

Rollercoaster

2008-11-12T13:16:00.005-06:00

The past couple of days have been filled with a myriad of emotions.

I attended Miguel's funeral yesterday, which was definitely one of the saddest funerals I have ever been to. For him to have lost his life at a young age is such a tragedy. I am constantly thinking about him, and mourning the things that he will never get to experience. I know God has a divine plan, and Miguel already fulfilled his purpose on this earth. He is at peace, but it still doesn't take away the sorrow that his loved ones feel.

I saw some of my old friends at the funeral. It was so great to see Lester, Joe, and Willie. Just not under those circumstances. They are guys that used to be like brothers to me; I spent so much time with them. They were a huge part of my life, and I missed them. Being able to see them there brought comfort.

Kelly and I completed our pre-marital counseling. Our counselor had requested that we write letters to each other about our expectations for our first year of marriage. We were not allowed to read the letters. At our last session, she asked for them. She read the letters (to herself). As she was reading Kelly's letter to me, she placed her hand on her cheek and sighed. I told her that I really wanted to read his letter now. She then laughed and said, "Well, then you are going to be upset with me." She then tucked them away into a big envelope, along with a letter that she had written to us. She sealed it, so it cannot be opened (well it could be, but not without detection).
On the outside it states: Kelly and Stacey Corcoran
To be read on January 10, 2010.

Our one year anniversary.

As you can see, the past couple of days have brought extreme sorrow and joy. I think I'm having trouble processing it all.

Loss

2008-11-08T21:46:00.007-06:00

As I finished the last blog post, I checked my cell phone only to learn that an old friend has passed away.

Miguel Cardenas will be greatly missed. As I think about Miguel, his smile, his welcoming personality, and all of the memories that he is in, tears begin to run down my face. He was truly one of the nicest people you could meet. One of those people that you want to be friends with, to be around.

Please be in prayer for his family and anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Wedding preparations and pictures galore

2008-11-08T19:44:00.030-06:00

Today has been a great day. I met my friend, Megan, and we headed to the wholesale floral supply store this morning. We picked out the vases, crystals, ribbons, pins, etc. for all of the floral arrangements/bouquets. With each passing day, the wedding becomes more of a realization.

In just two short months, I will become Stacey Lynn Corcoran. Wow...it seems so foreign even typing my future last name. Those who know me well, know that I am having a little bit of a hard time letting go of my last name (hence the blog title). I've been a Lowry for 27 years. Do you know how many times I've gotten...."like Mike LOOOOOWRY?" (from the movie Bad Boys). And each person thought they were the first. I found it humorous. I am quite fond of my last name. One friend (Bob...love that guy) calls me Stacey Lowry, and many simply call me Lowry. Which brings me to another point...my friend, Megan (same one as mentioned above) messaged me the other day that one of her friends just had a baby girl and named her Lowry. Maybe my last name will live on in my own family. Hmmmm...

Sorry for the tangent. I will get back on track. After the floral supply store, I ran some errands and then went to my mom's. Her boss' wife, Anne, is making my invitations. Let me just say, they have one sweet family. Bryan and Anne are so welcoming, and they have two precious kids. In fact, in a prior post (Homecoming), their little son, the pirate, is pictured. We went by their house to view the final product. I could not be more thrilled with the outcome. Invitations should go out early next week (can't believe it's already time for that). After they are mailed, I will post the invitation on the blog. I am so impressed by them; everything is really starting to come together.

With that said, I leave you with more engagement photos (I already received the disc from my photographer...Cesar works FAST):

Prayer

2008-11-08T12:51:00.006-06:00

Under the "Blogs I Read" headline, there is a blog entitled Bring the Rain.
The Lord has used Angie and her blog as a witness and testimony to me of His unwaivering love for us. God has used her to show many people unwaivering faith and the strength to follow Him even when you are in the darkest times of your life.
If you have time, I greatly encourage you to read her story, but you must start from the very beginning.
It will change you. It will change the way you view your world. Make sure you have tissues handy.

I do not yet have children, but one of her entries titled Seven Prayers a Day, has encouraged me to pray more often.
I sometimes find myself going days without prayer. I find myself often not being the person that I want to be, in order to show God's love and patience. I find myself becoming too easily angered, not having a servant's heart at all times, wanting things of this world. So, please read her blog entry and pray. Pray for yourselves, your spouse, your future spouse, your children, your parents, your leaders, your country.

I am challenging myself to this. I yearn to be a beacon of God's light to this world and to do so, I need to be on my knees in prayer. I will be starting the 7 x 7 prayers tomorrow, and I will be praying for Kelly and myself.

I challenge you to do this for your families and yourselves as well! (There is a button on my blog that will take you to the entry on Angie's that I am talking about, called 7 x 7).

Engagement Photos

2008-11-07T07:00:00.010-06:00

I am so incredibly pleased with the work that our photographer, Cesar Perez with Perez Photography, did! Here are a few of my favorites from the "sneak peak" from his blog:

You can check out the rest of them at www.perezblog.net.

Positives

2008-11-05T07:27:00.008-06:00

There have been a few disappointments lately. Namely, the loss of the Texas Longhorns over the weekend (small and truly insignificant, but still a disappointment) and the results of the election last night (very significant and produces an ache in the pit of my stomach each and every time I think about it).
So, instead of dwelling on these issues at this time, I have decided to post some positives going on in my life at this moment:

1. engagement photos are done (which will remain a positive as long as we get a few really good shots...shall know in about a week and a half)
- Emma was a CHAMP in the photos that she was in...very surprised
2. looking forward to spending time with Juli and her kiddos, which I always enjoy
3. only two months until the wedding and our HONEYMOON (I know we could both use a get-away right about now)
4. invitations should be completed and mailed by early next week
5. likely meeting with Megan, my friend and florist, to get flowers finalized on Saturday
6. Michelle is going to have Julia any day now!

Okay, so this was a quick entry, and the list of positives isn't too entirely long, but it will suffice for now. This is my way of telling myself to BE POSITIVE.

Please don't go...don't go-o-o-o-o

2008-10-30T16:20:00.005-05:00

I had dinner at Pappadeaux last night with Ashley. It will be the last time I get to see her until Christmas, and then the WEDDING (I cannot believe it is just a mere two months and a few days away)!

Skills

2008-10-30T15:57:00.006-05:00

Props to Kelly for his "mad envelope addressing" skills:

(I blocked out the actual address...just note the direction of the envelope). Addressing thank you cards with Kelly turned out to provide quite a few laughs! Thank you, Kelly, for helping me. Love you!

Fiesta!

2008-10-27T20:56:00.023-05:00

Kelly and I are so very grateful for having such loving and supportive family and friends in our lives. I want to give a special thanks to my sweet Ashley and her thoughtful mom, Marcia for hosting our wedding shower...as well as her dad, Dale and brother, Cameron for helping out so very much to make the event successful! We could not have asked for a better time with everyone.

Thanks so much guys! It meant more than you know.
A picture of the loving family:

My brother and me:

Kelly and his brother:

Families:

Friends:

The "hot seats" where Kelly and I opened presents and found out just how much we truly know about each other...hmmm...IDK! HAHA!

Thanks again to everyone. I had so much fun!

Sneak Preview

2008-10-26T02:28:00.005-05:00

One of the hostesses (one of my most dearest of friends, Ashley and I) tonight at the co-ed wedding shower:

Homecoming

2008-10-25T15:40:00.013-05:00

No, not of the beaded dress, mums, and Friday football game type of variety.

My older brother, Greg, has returned home this weekend. I know that I am so very glad he's here, as are my parents. He currently resides in Colorado, but has made the trip home for a very special event!

Last night, Kelly and I went out to eat with him, and a few of his friends to none other than Gloria's:
Can you tell which one my brother is??? It might be pretty difficult :-)

Precious Carter and me:

This morning, my mom, brother, and I went to O's birthday party! He turns 3 years old today, and his party was probably the most entertaining thing I have been to all year long!
Every kid there was dressed up in their Halloween costumes...too cute for words.
"O" didn't want to wear his pirate hat, and he didn't want his little friend to, either!

Isn't this one of the most adorable little pirates that you've ever seen?

Half-way through the party, we had to high-tail it to my little cousin's football game. I love watching these young guys play!
My brother and me in the stands:

One with our wonderful mom:

And last, but not least, one with our cousin, the little center in the family, Layne:

Now, in about 2 1/2 hours, Kelly's and my first wedding shower will commence.
My maid of honor, Ashley and her sweet mom, Marcia are throwing us a fiesta couples shower, filled with Mexican food, friends and fun!

Relaxation

2008-10-22T20:17:00.009-05:00

Not only does Emma love her new bed:

But, it looks as though everyone else in our soon-to-be little family does, too:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETUMS!

2008-10-21T21:45:00.019-05:00

Emma is now officially one today, 10/21/08. How should I sum up her first year of life (and first 10 months as a Lowry-Corcoran)???

Emma was my Christmas present,
that was not always so pleasant.
Pooped in her crate on the very first night,
up at all hours, cleaning/bathing...what a sight.
Cried to Kelly, "do you think the breeder will take her back?"
If we had, I know a lot of love we would lack.
To and from the vet about a million times,
and all at the drop of many dimes.
Chewing of baseboards and the drywall,
life with her brings so much laughter and is such a ball!

We love you, little Em! Happy 1st Birthday!

(I know I seem like a "crazy" dog owner, and I admit that I am. Until Kelly and I have children, Emma will be the spoiled "baby" of the family...and in all honesty, she will probably always be loved and spoiled just as much as she is now).

Emma got a few new presents, including a rubber squeaky chicken that she adores (a gift from her grandpa):

Her first taste of her birthday cake (made with all natural ingredients, especially for dogs):

After she got a taste, she attempted to lick the entire cake:

The face of one happy bulldog:

The end result:

Her final present: (a big girl bed from her daddy...haha):

Emma LOVES her new bed. Kelly and I had been debating getting one for her for quite some time because we thought she might not even use it. From the second it hit the floor, she has pretty much been in her bed! I am going to try to allow her to sleep in it in my room, instead of in her crate tonight. We'll see how that goes!

Dinner for 4

2008-10-21T07:46:00.005-05:00

Saturday in whole was a day for eating. Some of my co-workers, Ashley, and I, participated in the Race for the Cure that morning, and followed it up with brunch at La Duni.

Saturday's girls dinner slowly dwindled to four. But, it was a great time and I am now constantly craving the apple gorgonzola salad at Buca di Bepo!

Special Delivery

2008-10-16T21:11:00.012-05:00

When I got home today, I took Emma outside to potty and there was a big box on my doorstep. I had no clue what it could be, and then I saw it. A big bone that was cracked in half with the words, "Be careful, fragile." I KNEW at this moment that it was for Emma. I told her so, and her tooshie started wagging.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Emma's early b-day present (her first birthday is next Tuesday, October 21st), is from one of my mom's best friends, Donna. She beats me out for the title of "World's Biggest Dog Lover." She outdid herself, and let me tell you, Emma is so very grateful!

This is what was inside:

And she got this box that was FILLED with different gourmet treats!

I tried to get a good shot of Emma looking at the camera, while her cute little doggie bone laid in front of her on the ground. I guess I should have known better than to attempt that...this is the best shot I was able to take:

Once I gave her "release" word of "okay," she grabbed the bone up and took it to the place where she takes anything and everything that she knows she is not supposed to have...under the bed:

And this is the famous face that Kelly and I see if we are coming underneath the bed to take whatever it is that she may have confiscated away from her (Kelly is crawling under the bed to act like he is going to take the bone away...look at her eyes...she is watching him very carefully):

Thank you, Donna, for thinking of my sweet little Emma! She's living the good life now...even more spoiled than ever.

Guilty as charged...

2008-10-15T20:49:00.008-05:00

I hate to admit this because it is probably really, really bad. (Although I was reassured by a co-worker that she did it too, as I am sure many other brides-to-be have).
I have checked our registries online.
I know, shame on me. I couldn't help it, though. But let me just say, I am SO excited!

Please refer back to the following blog entry:
"Whew...100 thoughts"
Entry #51. When I'm stressed, I bake.

"I" ( I say "I" because Kelly will likely NEVER use the following things) got my 500 Cupcakes cookbook, my bundt pan, and my cake dome. Needless to say, I am thrilled. I know, if I continue to check it, there will be no surprises, so I will vow to *try* not to sneak occasional peeks.

Anyone ready for some cupcakes? (Although I hear you are not supposed to use anything you receive until AFTER the wedding).

Camera, shoes, and the stick

2008-10-11T20:41:00.005-05:00

I've been a bad blogger this week. My apologies.

Last Sunday, Kelly and I took Emma to "our" park (the site of our engagement), and I brought my camera and bread (to feed the ducks...didn't forget it this time). Just as we were about to cross one of the bridges, I asked Kelly to stop with Emma and pose for a shot. But, then, on a whim (of mere genious), I decided to throw the last of the bread that was in my hand to a group of ducks nearby. Not realizing that my camera was dangling from that wrist, I throw the bread, and in slow motion, my camera goes flying into the air. It began to drop onto the bridge and through a crack and fell RIGHT INTO THE WATER. The grummy, muddy, fishy water. It was right by the edge, so Kelly pulled it out, but alas, my camera is dead. It had a good run. I'd had it for around 4 or 5 years and it performed its job well.
To some of you (ahem....Kolleen), you will know that this is not my first offense of having a perfectly good camera land in a pool of water. We won't relive the first time :-).

Below is a picture of the stinker. Thursday morning, I took her for her morning stroll and she found a stick. Normally, as we are walking, her nose is constantly to the ground trying to sniff out the trail of the prior dog...in hopes of finding a playmate. But, this morning, after she found the stick, she was on a mission. She headed straight for home, so that none of these other so-called "playmates" would have the chance to steal her most prized possession (and to think that Kelly and I spend so much on dog toys).

Thursday night, my mom tried on her mother of the bride dress for me. She looked so incredibly beautiful. I am growing more and more anxious by the day. I went shopping and found "the" shoes. I love "the" shoes. The only problem: 4 inch heels. Will I be able to walk/stand/dance in those shoes comfortably? I don't know. Will I be able to take the shoes off and not have to hold my dress up to dance? I don't know. But, did I mention that I LOVE "the" shoes? Tough decision, but I think I need to keep looking...maybe for shoes that only have 2 inch heels (still daydreaming back to "the" shoes as I type this).

Friday, I met my caterer at TLC linens. We picked out some really great colors and I think the whole reception is going to be spectacular. I literally cannot wait to see everything (that I've been working so hard for) come together.

And today, the Longhorns kicked some Sooner butt. Enough said!

Baby Season

2008-10-04T18:59:00.007-05:00

I hosted my co-worker, M's, work baby shower on Oct. 1st.
Here is a picture of the "clothesline" that I created:

A picture of the cute couple:

Today, I attended two baby showers. One for Juli's sister. Her baby boy is due in December.
Here is a picture at the shower with two of my favorite girls :-) Precious little Olivia was distracted, but I just cannot get enough of her cuteness.

Afterwards, I went to my cousin's wife's baby shower. I got the chance to reconnect with one of my aunts and cousins. It was truly a blessing to spend time with them both. True Bliss.

Reasons to love October '08...

2008-10-03T14:38:00.006-05:00

1. Baby showers galore
2. Crisp, cool mornings
3. Long walks with Emma
4. TX vs. OU game
5. Race for the Cure
6. Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks
7. Girls dinner
8. First wedding shower
9. State Fair of Texas
10. Only 3 months left til the wedding

Kelly's affinity for photography...

2008-10-02T18:31:00.005-05:00

Oh...I'm going to be in such big trouble for posting this! HAHA! This is a picture of us before we went to register. To his defense, it was probably the 4th or 5th one I took and he was fed up! This picture makes me laugh so incredibly hard. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Pluck.

2008-09-29T20:49:00.008-05:00

"I don't think we should register for that." Pluck.
"No, I get to hold the 'gun' the whole time." Pluck.
"We don't need that." Pluck.
"We need a waffle maker." Pluck.
"You can 'shoot' two colors of towels, then give it back." Pluck.
"I said, 'please give it back now...that's the only joy I get out of this whole process.'" Pluck.
"What time is it?" Pluck.

Registering for gifts with a male is like slowing plucking one hair out of my head at a time. Slightly painful with a less than glamorous end result. Kelly and I registered yesterday at Bed, Bath and Beyond and Crate and Barrel. We have yet to tackle Macy's and Home Depot. Luckily, those will be very small registries.

Half-way into our registering "adventure" (if you will) at Bed, Bath and Beyond, I had to go to the bathroom. Kelly had already spotted the massage attachments for chairs and had started to receive a "pseudo" massage. When I came out of the bathroom, Kelly was looking for something on the chair. I thought, "oh no, he is not about to do what I think he is...please don't let it be." And then, it happens. Kelly "shoots" the barcode on the massage attachment. I told him, "I don't think people normally put that on a wedding registry." He didn't seem to care. He said that I got to register for many things that I want. He said that this way, he won't have to ask me for back massages. At that point, I thought it was a good idea. I do have to admit that I thought him registering for that was pretty cute and thinking about it now, it makes me smile from ear to ear. Just don't tell Kelly :-)

Sniffle

2008-09-24T19:48:00.011-05:00

At this very moment, I should be leaving for work. But instead...instead, I sit here with Kleenex stuffed tightly in my nose and a cup of warm tea to hopefully soothe my sore throat. I'm sick.
I really loathe being sick.
I would rather be at work than be sick (I am in shock as I find myself typing those words :-) ).
I would rather be chased by a pack of rabid wolves in the middle of the night, with a huge slab of moose meat hanging from my loins. Okay, so I'm exaggerating a little on that one, but you get the point.

It's just a really bad time to get sick. One of my very dearest friends, Ashley, is in town and I cannot even see her right now. I am planning a baby shower for my friend & co-worker (see below) next week and have a few more little things to do, and then, there is all of the wedding planning that I have taken a slight break from...oops. But, I guess it's better to be sick now than around the holidays or the wedding.

And, I know I need to rest in order to get better, but my body is starting to ache from laying in bed. And...I'm tired of sleeping.
But alas, enough complaining. I'm getting my frumpy butt back in bed now!

Just one picture from my cute little co-worker's family/friend shower on Sunday (yes, I said little and she is pregnant, but friends, she only broke the 100 lb. mark AFTER being pregnant):

More to follow next week after her work shower!

I've gotcha right where I want ya...

2008-09-17T15:55:00.008-05:00

When Emma is tired, here is her little way of being able to relax (seeing as though if you move into another room, she CANNOT stand the suspense and must follow to see what you are doing):

Here she is resting on my foot at my computer:

Resting on my mom's foot after we got back from a race:

And finally, resting on Kelly's foot:

Oh, and for all of those who lovingly asked about how the little beast is feeling...she seems to be doing quite well.
After her little eating extravaganza, Kelly and I went to Petco to buy some more toys (ones that we felt might be indestructable for at least a couple of days). $52.98 later:

And the winner is...

Emma loves her new little buddy. It is made of some type of soft rubber material, but seems very sturdy. And it squeaks, which is her most favorite part.

DEEP THOUGHTS

2008-09-14T13:56:00.007-05:00

by Kelly Corcoran

"When you get a headache, is it a big headache...because your head is so huge?"

Thanks, hun, thanks. HAHA!

Moments.

2008-09-14T13:49:00.004-05:00

You know those moments that you want to permanently etch into your memory, no matter how small or insignificant it might have been? I was fortunate enough to have one of those moments last night.
Kelly came over after work and we took Emma on a walk, and I checked my mail. I had received a dvd sample from a wedding videographer, so as soon as we got back to my apartment, I wanted to watch it.

There were different segments of the dvd, but for some reason, while the actual ceremony was in progress, Kelly unconsciously reached over and gently held my hand.

So small. So simple. So "everyday." But, it was a little moment that I will remember forever.

Another one bites the dust...

2008-09-12T16:57:00.010-05:00

Lil' P has not been quite herself this week. She has not been poopin' after she eats and this is NOT normal. She has been going around 4 hours later. Not that you necessarily wanted to know about that, but I really thought she might not be feeling well.
Instead of her being a ball of energy and a little tyrant around my apartment, she has been but a shell of her formal self...a "slug," if you will.

Here is a picture of what she has been like this week. Such a sad little face.

I'm glad to announce that the culprit of Emma's mood change made its appearance this morning. A very large portion of a rubber shoe that she had found its way out of her "tougher than nails" intestinal tract. My goodness, my dog will eat ANYTHING!

Only problem now: I haven't seen the rest of the shoe anywhere. Looks like there's more to come (if you catch my drift)!

What a day.

2008-09-06T18:08:00.019-05:00

Kelly had today off of work. Normally, he always works on Saturdays, so we were both looking forward to being able to spend the day together. We decided to go have brunch at one of my favorite places and to go look at hotels for our wedding night.

We arrived at (the one off of Lovers Ln.)

I backed into a parking spot, but didn't do a fantastic job (duly noted by Kelly, the pro at maneuvering cars.) So, he recommended that I pull back out and straighten the car out.
There was a large white truck to the left of me, so I began to slowly pull out of my space. As soon as I could see around the truck, I stopped because a Honda Accord was coming down the lane. She; however, was NOT paying attention (she was staring to the right into the Texas Art Gallery, WHILE driving). I did not have time to put my car in reverse and back into the spot. I really thought she was going to look forward and stop her car (she on the otherhand would have had time to do this). Instead, as soon as I realized that she most definitely wasn't going to stop, I tried in vein to honk my horn to get her attention. She ran right into the front left part of my bumper. It left a pretty big dent, scratches, and what appears to be one perforation. Of course I was upset, but calm Kelly was there, so I got her information and we parted ways. We did have a nice brunch and then I called a claim into my insurance company (and hers).

However, after lunch, Kelly and I walked back out to my car to see that my bumper had popped itself back out. But, I still have this to deal with:

Side note: On the way to Run On (read below), Kelly and I were traveling westbound on 635, and we passed an accident on the eastbound side where the car was flipped completely upside down. At that very moment, I was a teeny bit grateful for the new dent in my car.

Kelly and I went to check out hotel rooms at the Ritz-Carlton and The Crescent. I have to say, we were both more impressed with what the Crescent had to offer. If anyone else has suggestions on where to stay, they are welcolmed.

Afterwards, Kelly and I went shopping, and I was in DIRE need of some new running shoes. I received my last pair of running shoes for Christmas from my mom (I know what you are thinking...that is not too long ago. Let me clarify, Christmas of '06!). Those shoes have logged many a mile. But, I loved them. They were the first shoe that didn't cause shin splints, so I wore them way past their expiration date.

(Okay, there are a few spots on the shoe that look questionable, but are they really in that bad of shape? I am a little ashamed to post the next picture...correction...utterly ashamed.)

Now, you can REALLY tell the difference. My old shoe used to be white. I guess it didn't look so bad because it could now pass for grey, hence me being utterly ashamed.

We are now off to another one of my favorite places...the Studio Movie Grill!

Hooray for a better day tomorrow...church teaching a new class of kindergartners (but oh how I will miss my old class), and then the Cowboys season opener!

P-A-L-I-N!

2008-09-04T10:59:00.006-05:00

I heart Sarah Palin!

After listening to Sarah Palin, vice presidential candidate, give her speech at the Republican National Convention last night, I am that much more convinced that they are better-suited for the job.

Following are a few exerpts from her speech that really moved me (sorry, it's a little lengthy):

Politics isn't just a game of clashing parties and competing interests.
The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good, and to leave this nation better than we found it.
No one expects us to agree on everything.
But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart.

*******************

And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.
But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.

This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.
Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.
Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.
Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.
Congress spends too much ... he promises more.
Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.
The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses.

***************

In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.
And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.
They're the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals.

Among politicians, there is the idealism of high-flown speechmaking, in which crowds are stirringly summoned to support great things.
And then there is the idealism of those leaders, like John McCain, who actually do great things. They're the ones who are good for more than talk ... the ones we have always been able to count on to serve and defend America. Senator McCain's record of actual achievement and reform helps explain why so many special interests, lobbyists, and comfortable committee chairmen in Congress have fought the prospect of a McCain presidency - from the primary election of 2000 to this very day.

****************************************

And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely.

There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain. In our day, politicians have readily shared much lesser tales of adversity than the nightmare world in which this man, and others equally brave, served and suffered for their country.
It's a long way from the fear and pain and squalor of a six-by-four cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office.
But if Senator McCain is elected president, that is the journey he will have made.
It's the journey of an upright and honorable man - the kind of fellow whose name you will find on war memorials in small towns across this country, only he was among those who came home.
To the most powerful office on earth, he would bring the compassion that comes from having once been powerless ... the wisdom that comes even to the captives, by the grace of God ... the special confidence of those who have seen evil, and seen how evil is overcome. A fellow prisoner of war, a man named Tom Moe of Lancaster, Ohio, recalls looking through a pin-hole in his cell door as Lieutenant Commander John McCain was led down the hallway, by the guards, day after day.
As the story is told, "When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe's door and flash a grin and thumbs up" - as if to say, "We're going to pull through this." My fellow Americans, that is the kind of man America needs to see us through these next four years.

For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.
For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.

All you need is love...

2008-09-02T21:25:00.007-05:00

dum da da da dum...

What does love look like to you?

Sweet.

2008-08-31T18:34:00.010-05:00

Kelly and I went to his parent's house today to eat lunch and spend time with his family.
His MomMom came over, along with her sister, Mary (Kelly's great-Aunt). We call her Aunt Mary.
After the prayer, but before we began eating, she handed us a present.
When we unwrapped our two separate items, this is what we each revealed (two of her old jam jars):

We then read the note enclosed, which states the following:

Dear Stacey & Kelly,
As newlyweds and when you start your day with morning juice, may you be reminded of the only creature that witnessed your engagement.
Love,
Aunt Mary

So very, very sweet.

Weekend O' Fun

2008-08-30T21:47:00.008-05:00

Thursday night, my friend Bethany invited me to the very last Cowboy pre-season game at Texas Stadium.
I love supporting the boys...even if the starters don't play! We had a great time. Many thanks to Bethany for inviting me!
Here is our "signature" pose from WAY back in the day:

I love this girl! I'm so glad that I got to spend time with her, doing something we both love.

Friday, I was off of work to have my hair and make-up trial run. Oh, how I want to post the pictures, but alas, blogger does not have password protective entries. Kelly reads my blog from time to time, and I do not want him to see how I will look on our wedding day.

Today, I went shopping with my neighbor for new sunglasses, because I broke my other pair. While at the mall, I wanted to stop by Nordstrom's to look for wedding jewelry. Little did I know, that I would find exactly what I wanted!
I also cannot post pictures of the jewelry.

I CAN; however, post a picture of Emma's new little step-brother. After the mall, we went to Petland because I heard that they have AKC registered bulldogs there. I fell in love with the following little stinker:

I didn't; however, fall in love with his sharp, needle-like, teeth. All he wanted to do was attack our feet/legs/fingers/hands/ANYTHING that was in sight. It brought back memories of the complete torture of "puppy-hood." We are not going there again quite yet.

It has been such a great weekend already, and there are still two full days left!

Novacaine & Chocolate

2008-08-27T21:08:00.006-05:00

When your mouth has been numbed, and you can't feel your gums...
Nov-a-ca-ine...Nov-a-ca-ine.

When you begin to slobber, like your mouth's just been clobbered...
Nov-a-ca-ine...Nov-a-ca-ine.

When at first you get a shot of pain, but then you can't feel a thang...
Nov-a-ca-ine...Nov-a-ca-ine.

When water comes out of your mouth, like it's a great, big spout...
Nov-a-ca-ine...Nov-a-ca-ine.

So, me, being the genious that I am, scheduled to have my baby cavity filled yesterday afternoon at 2 P.M. Sounds perfectly okay, right? Right.
Then, I (again please make a mental note of my brilliance) made another appointment for yesterday at 4 P.M. A wedding appointment. With whom, you ask? With the prospective DJ? No. With the person creating the invitations? Nope. Try again.

With a bakery, who would potentially be making the groom's cake. Brilliance, I tell ya.

You see, when I made these appointments, I thought to myself: "Self, you already have to leave work early on Tuesday. You might as well fit in a wedding appointment also." So, I started searching for a bakery that would be able to make a nifty little groom's cake and I scheduled the appointment. All the while, thinking how great of a master planner I am.

I woke up yesterday morning and DING. Oh.my.goodness. What have I done? They are going to have to numb my mouth today only TWO HOURS before the cake appointment. I won't be able to really taste the delectable, moist, CHOCOLATE cake.
Everything started happening in slow motion. I pictured myself, with only half of my mouth being able to function (and the other half covered in drool) trying to inconspicuously eat chocolate cake. Genious.

Needless to say, my mouth was still numb, and the cake was still delicious...even if half of it was dangling undetected from my upper lip!

Happy 31st

2008-08-24T01:02:00.012-05:00

Happy 31st wedding anniversary to Skip and Gloria, Kelly's parents!

Saturday night, we met them at Cape Buffalo to hear the Emerald City Band:

Beforehand (notice the complete and utter joy in Kelly's face, at having to take a picture):

Remember those Emma kisses I previously posted about (when she gets you like this ALL you can do is laugh):

This picture makes Emma look about as big as "The Beast" aka Old Mr. Myrtle's junkyard dog:

Lemonade anyone?

2008-08-19T21:31:00.014-05:00

Dentist. "Baby" cavity. Rainy "stroll" at the Arboretum. Rude comment made to mom and future grandmom during such said "stroll". Evening shortened. Tears of disappointment. Added stress. August 19th, 2008. Lemons.

Exaggerating, you ask? Overreacting, perhaps? Probably.

(Side note: Before you go on, please just know that I am fully aware that things in life could be much, much worse. Please also note, that I am fully aware that God is in control of every situation. Even the ones that initially leave that distinctive sour taste in your mouth.)

I would love to paint a rosy, picture-perfect idea in everyone's mind that my wedding planning experience has been just that... Picture.Perfect. In fact, I would love to feel that way myself.
It is one of the happiest times in my life, knowing that in just 4 1/2 short months I will be married to a man that I love dearly. Why, oh why, then, is it that every day I feel like I could easily be on the verge of a breakdown? An honest-to-goodness, complete and total breakdown. (And why is it that some days I have these exact breakdowns?)
After the tears tonight, Kelly said to me, "maybe all these things went wrong tonight, so that everything on our wedding day will be perfect."

After some thinking, I have narrowed my stress/breakdowns to this one simple fact: I want this most special day to be perfect. I want this day of Kelly and I becoming husband and wife to be completely flawless.
And, what I have come to realize on this rainy, lemon-filled day, is that our wedding day will be flawless.
No, not flawless in the sense that every vendor will be exactly on time, every hair on my head will be in place, where there will be no stuttering during vows, or no rainy/icy weather.
Flawless in that, it will be exactly what it was meant to be. It will be the day that Kelly and I say "I do." I do love you, cherish you, honor you, and want to spend the rest of my life with you. I do agree to love you when we wake up in the morning, and love you when we lay our heads to sleep every night. I do plan to work through the tough times, and love you even when you may not be so loveable. I do want to be there to see the many smiles that life will bring you, and hold you when the smiles have been replaced with tears. I do still want to hold your hand when every hair on our heads has turned grey, our children have grown up and become parents of their own, and this fast-paced life has gotten a little bit slower. I.DO.

And, even though our marriage through our lives will not be flawless or perfect, when I say, "I do," I will mean it with every fiber of my being. That ladies and gentlemen....is lemonade.

Weekend Wrap-Up

2008-08-17T15:48:00.019-05:00

In as few words as possible...

Friday, Emma ate the drywall (I made her take a picture today by her no-no):

(Do not ask me how the poopie ate the wall that wasn't even on a CORNER. Again, she's got skillz.)

And Saturday, we went to watch "The Boys" play ball (in celebration of Keith's birthday):

____________________________________
In other news:
I got tired of Emma jumping off the couch and hurting her stubby little legs, so we finally broke down and Kelly bought her a ramp :-). Emma says, "thanks homes!" Here's video of her daddy schooling her on how to use it!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

And this afternoon, while daddy spackles,

Emma and I have been couped up in my room for over an hour and a half. Talk about cabin fever (and the reason for the obnoxiously long video of absolutely nothing):

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Rain Rain

2008-08-15T09:20:00.005-05:00

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....the lovely sound of rain and the coolness in the air. I normally HATE rain. Today, I welcome it with open arms. For some reason, it is bringing me a sense of peace. I've been very stressed lately (I can't imagine why). I'm the type of person who "runs themselves ragged." I always say that I am not going to plan activities/errands/etc. for Saturdays. And then what do I do? I plan activities/errands/etc. EVERY Saturday. I literally run from one place to the next until I'm so tired I cannot see straight. I'm not very good at relaxing. Well, not THIS Saturday. THIS Saturday, I have nothing planned (except for tomorrow evening when we will be celebrating my friend's husband's birthday, by doing one of my very favorite activities....watching the Dallas Cowboys!). I am going to sleep in (at least until 8 or 8:30), workout, and then maybe get a pedicure. I hope it keeps raining....maybe I'll rent a movie or take an afternoon nap. The possibilities are endless!
YIPPEEEEE!!!!

Whew...100 Thoughts:

2008-08-12T19:27:00.003-05:00

1. I am listening to Emma bark her little head off.
2. It is about to make me go nuts!
3. But then I see her little face and laugh.
4. Hence, Kelly and I using the word "poopface" too much.
5. There are only 152 days left until our wedding!
6. We went and looked at rings for Kelly today.
7. Guys + shopping= 1/4(Girls + shopping)
8. Every day is "wedding" day around here.
9. Kelly and I both made a compromise for the honeymoon.
10. He wanted Disney World.
11. I wanted Hawaii...
12. So I could swim with the sharks.
13. We ended with Disney World + Bahamas.
14. He gets his fun rides/busy days.
15. I get my "bahama mamas" on the beach.
16. I guess that is what it's like to be married...compromise.
17. I love him, so it's worth it.
18. I am 5' 5 1/2".
19. I just turned 27.
20. I don't want to be 30.
21. My brother is turning 30 next year.
22. I cannot believe it.
23. He lives in Colorado and I miss him.
24. Kelly also has a brother, who is younger.
25. I still will not have any related sisters, even after I'm married.
26. Kelly is definitely the "older" sibling.
27. I am definitely the "younger."
28. Sometimes he treats me like he's my older brother.
29. He told me the other day that as much as he likes to hug me, he likes to bug me.
30. That makes for FUN times.
31. Can you sense the sarcasm?
32. I am very picky about the way things are done/things being "clean."
33. I laughed when I read one of our questionnaires from the pre-martial counselor.
34. One question was, "How clean do you want your home to be? What does 'clean' mean to you?"
35. I love to run.
36. I would do it every day if I had the time.
37. And, if it wasn't still 100 degrees at 7 or 8 PM.
38. I have the best friends in the world.
39. I have known some of them since elementary school, others since middle school, and some since high school.
40. I love spending time with them.
41. I love spending time with their children and being a part of their lives.
42. I still don't know what I want to "do" with my career-life.
43. I have a degree in Advertising.
44. I work in insurance.
45. Go figure.
46. I would LOVE to be able to work from home and set my own schedule.
47. I love coffee.
48. I love fresh fruit.
49. I LOVE cereal.
50. I would eat cereal every day if that was good for me.
51. When I'm stressed, I bake.
52. I want to take a cooking class.
53. I want to be able to make good meals for Kelly that have variety.
54. I think about how much I would love being a mom.
55. One day...
56. Kelly and I want time together as husband and wife first.
57. We have said DEFINITELY a year, and then we'll discuss it again.
58. UNLESS, God has a different plan for our lives.
59. As pointed out by Juli's husband, Nick.
60. Have I said that I LOVE my friends?
61. I'm SO glad that football season is starting up.
62. I love the Dallas Cowboys.
63. And Marion Barber.
64. He plays with such heart.
65. I play tennis.
66. I need to play more.
67. But again, it's still 100 degrees at 7 or 8 PM.
68. The Lord is good.
69. He has blessed me in so many ways.
70. I am forever grateful for such a gracious God.
71. We were at my mom's for dinner on my birthday.
72. Kelly said that he hopes that we only have boys (then looked over at me with a grin).
73. My dad said, "thinking back on it, I wish I only had boys, too."
74. We all laughed.
75. My dad likes to make jokes.
76. I love that he loves to play around.
77. The chances of Kelly and I having all boys is VERY high.
78. My dad has 4 brothers; my mom has two brothers, one of which has NINE SONS.
79. Kelly has a brother.
80. ALL of Kelly's cousins AND 2nd cousins are...you guessed it...BOYS.
81. I would love to have a boy and girl.
82. But, really, I just want my kids to be healthy.
83. My mom is so selfless.
84. I admire that.
85. She also loves to laugh.
86. Laughter is good medicine.
87. Kelly and I eat at Gloria's probably once per week.
88. I always say, "Let's eat there tonight, and then we'll take a break."
89. He lovingly agrees.
90. The next time we are going to go eat, he looks at me, and just knows that I want Gloria's again.
91. So, we go.
92. He is loving.
93. I am grateful.
94. My heart overpours with love for him.
95. I want to be the wife that Kelly needs.
96. And wants.
97. I want our relationship to honor God.
98. I'm tired.
99. I love to sleep.
100. Goodnight!

Am I Crazy???

2008-08-05T21:56:00.011-05:00

Obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions, such as cleaning and counting....
An excessive need to do things correctly/perfectly...
Compulsive listmaking, repeating phrases mentally, etc...

Nothing rings truer than listening to yourself tell a complete stranger about your "ticks" or "quirks." I've always known that I likely had a mild OCD problem, as well as being the "Type A" personality (what a deadly combination). I have known that it has been a point of contention between Kelly and me (including when the dishes need to be done-uhem...RIGHT after you eat; that if you get a water-mark on a mirror, you need to immediately windex it; that things have a "place" and they belong "in" their place). I could go on. I promise I'm not some horribly mean, un-fun person (it sounds like it after reading this).

Here lately, the OCD has definitely been coming out with wedding planning. I'm on my toes...the chapel is booked, reception place is booked, meetings are being made with caterers, dress is purchased, bridesmaids dress has been found, meeting with baker has been completed for the cakes, meeting with Pastor completed, pre-marital counseling scheduled, photographer is booked, engagement photo date set, details with florist, my lovely friend Megan, have been discussed, there is a meeting next week to go over invitations, programs, etc.

Is it possible that other people are not "wired" the same?

Kelly's responsibilites are the following: finish asking his groomsmen, all plans in regards to the rehearsal dinner, and booking the honeymoon. I have been impatient. I have inquired MANY times from him when these things will be done. I have made deadlines which have come and gone. I have been a pest.
But, you see, it is because I have OCD (if I can use that as a scape-goat). If those were on my "to-do" list, they would have been done or at the very least, close to complete. But, Kelly, my dear, sweet Kelly, does NOT have OCD.
My dear, sweet Kelly does not even come close to having OCD. He is laid-back; he knows it will get done and isn't worried about it; he, by nature, tends to be more of a dum da da dum.....procrastinator.

I'm sure you get the picture of how this combination plays itself out.

Kelly and I had our first meeting with the pre-marital counselor tonight (for the sake of anonymity, we will call her "Peace-Keeper"). So, Peace-Keeper asked us all about ourselves at first. Where did we grow up, how did we meet, about the wedding, and so on. She asked us about our spiritual relationship with the Lord, what our biggest struggle is...
All of these were grand topics, as we looked lovingly at each other and listened to each other's answers.
Then she asked us how the wedding planning process has been going and where we are at in it.

Then, she saw the full-effect of the OCD. Kelly openly admitted that he hadn't really done anything on his end of the deal. He explained that he knows it will get done. I explained that that phrase alone stresses me out.
Then, she asked Kelly how he was in school with projects....did he procrastinate? The answer...yes.
Kelly said that he works best under pressure and that he allows things to build up and will then tackle it all at once.
All the while, I am cringing sitting next to him on the couch. She asked him how he was at deadlines. If he has a project that must be done with a known deadline....will he/did he get it done? The answer...yes.

Peace-Keeper then looked over at me. After discerning that we do not work the same way, that we are not "wired" the same, she said, "can you guys make an agreement (meaning can I agree to what she is about to say) that we will set a deadline for Kelly to have this completed and that I am not able to ask him about it, not even once, in the meantime?"
I shrugged. All of me wanted to say, "I don't know if I can do that." But, I begrundgling agreed. So, Kelly has until 08/26/08 until his "to-dos" must be done (or at least MOSTLY completed).
This is the last time I will mention it....I promise (at least until 08/26/08).

All in all, the first session of pre-marital counseling went so well. We both like the counselor. We both opened up to her. This will be good. This will help us learn how to deal better with each other's different "wiring." It will be a great foundation for our marriage.

Here are the next topics to be discussed:
The Design of Marriage
Principles of Godly Communication
Wise Decision Making
Finances and Marriage
Understanding Our Differences
Preparations for Intimacy

Stay tuned...

I'm sorry, so sorry...

2008-08-02T21:33:00.012-05:00

What started as a somewhat aggressive game of "tug-of-war" with her big green toothbrush (courtesy of grandma):

Turned into, "I think I apologize for being a little turkey":

And ended up with sweet, sweet kisses and "I'm truly sorry":

Gotta love the big kisses from Emma. Those of you who have been fortunate enough to have had them (Kelly, Dad, Mom, Ashley, Stacy) know just how lovely they are with that larger-than-life tongue of hers (Yes, that is her ENTIRE tongue in the picture). :-)

Free at Last!

2008-08-01T11:57:00.005-05:00

Ever since I've had the Lil' Poopy, she has been crate-trained. When she was a wee little bit, I would go home at lunch to let her out to potty. For the past months, she has just been in her crate all day long since she can hold it. I feel really bad about it, but was always worried that she would somehow harm herself, or go back to having accidents if I left her out. Well, over the last two weeks, I have been leaving her out if I go to check the mail, go run an errand, etc. Today, I decided to leave her out of her crate for a test-run! I went home at lunch to check on her, and when I opened the door, she was all snuggled up on her posturepedic pillow in her crate. She had been a good little dog :-) Mommy is so proud of this big day in the Lowry household. HAHA! I did not find any accidents, chewed up baseboards or cords. I still don't trust leaving her for 8 hours straight yet, but she is definitely movin' on up.

"Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I'm free at last." -Emma

Attitudes

2008-07-31T18:38:00.003-05:00

Normal Emma:

Snobby Emma:

Sweepy Emma:

"You've just done made me mad" Emma:

Hide-and-Seek and Snickerdoodles

2008-07-30T21:38:00.007-05:00

My mom taught Emma how to play hide-and-seek. I simply tell Emma to sit, then tell her to stay. I go into another room and place little pieces of her food all over the place. When I'm ready for her to start the scavenger hunt all I have to say is "I see one!" Emma then starts the chase! Below is a short clip of it....it is too cute!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So needless to say, if Emma does not want to come inside when she needs to, now all I say is "I see one!" and she comes a-running (full speed).

On a side note, I'm throwing a shout out to Donna:
Below is a picture of the scrumptous cookies my mom and I made tonight! They are so soft, with just the perfect mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Mmmmm melt in your mouth yummy.
Mwuahahahahahaha!

The Big 2-7!

2008-07-29T22:09:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was my 27th (eek) birthday.

I wished for time with Ashley before she left:

My favorite meal ever (the pasta shells made by none other than mi madre):

And delicious ice cream cake:

It's going to be a great year.
I am going to get to marry the man of my dreams (yes, he is, even though he has a slight addiction to NCAA Football):

Blessed.

2008-07-27T11:26:00.007-05:00

God did not give me any biological sisters. But, He did bless me with a group of friends that are just as close.

While having dinner with my girlfriends last night, an older man walked up to our table and said that it was fun watching our comradery, friendship, laughter and seeing us with Juli's daughter, Olivia. At that moment, I think we all realized just what we have. We have a group of friends who have shared our pasts, and will definitely be a part of our futures. We have a group of girls who have helped each other through our break-ups, laughed with each other until we cried, cried with each other until we laughed, seen our bad fashion statements (and 80's hairstyles), who know every embarrassing thing that we have ever done, who have shared the happiness of weddings and births of children, who are there to support each other, and love each other through the good, the bad and the ugly. I have known some of you for 20 years. I feel lucky. I feel joy. I feel an extreme sense of comfort in knowing each and every one of you.

Thank you to Juli, Ashley, Stacy, Kolleen, Bethany, Megan, and Heather for that.
And for those of you who couldn't be there (Erin, Anna, and Felicia) we missed you!!!

Juli, me, and Ashley:

Bethany, Kolleen, Megan, me and Heather:

Group shot:

Bethany with Olivia:

Happy Birthday

2008-07-22T08:29:00.003-05:00

to my sweet forever!
I love you more with every passing day. I cannot wait to celebrate your birthday with you for the rest of our lives!!!

Have you ever...

2008-07-20T19:16:00.014-05:00

Been this close to a zebra's mouth?

This was our first day of vacation in New Braunfels. We went to the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. Kelly and I have previously been to Arbuckle Wilderness, where they have signs that say "DO NOT FEED THE ZEBRAS." I guess this is why.
I was hesitant to allow them to come near the window (much less feed them). Kelly, the brave soul that he is, convinced me to roll down the window, and this is what ensued. Never again shall I listen when it is MY side of the car :-).

That night we headed to the ever famous Gristmill for dinner (very yummy) and on to Gruene Hall to hear Zack Walther & The Cronkites (We have now deemed "Wrapped For Me" as "our" song. It fits so perfectly where we are in our lives at this very moment. When I first listened to it, I got chills because all of the words she sings are my exact feelings right now). We left our mark the next day on Gruene Hall (Kelly sweetly engraved our initials):

Overall, we had a relaxing vacation and spent some time with his family on the river. Before river shot:

Here are some of my other favorites from the weekend:

Future brother-in-law, Casey:

Well, now it is back to the grind of the every day and wedding planning!!!

Poopface-ness

2008-07-14T18:37:00.008-05:00

Kelly and I lovingly refer to Emma as "Ms. Poopface". It is a term that can probably be heard anywhere from 50-100 times a day around my apartment. We are both on vacation this week, and leaving Wednesday for New Braunfels! I am so excited to spend the second part of this week relaxing at the river. But, before the relaxation comes full days of dealing with the following:

For some odd reason, she loves the closet (maybe because that is where shoes, belts, and anything of the sort can be found). She was adamant about being in the closet this morning and would not come out from underneath my pants (due to a rather large shoe box that is normally stored below). She is our stubborn little mule sometimes :-)