Karl and Claire

Today we had the chance to witness a dear friend's wedding.  She has waited a long time for this day.  And we were happy to be a part of it.

Luckily I was not the "official" photographer.  I was happy to snap candids...but I was seated behind some big heads.

The bride's sister, Chris, is family to us.  

Consequently, her family is our family....like the ring-bearer Connor, and the flower girl, Avery.

Congratulations, Karl and Claire.  May you have many, many happy years together.

Once Upon a Time...

This is one of my favorite wedding pictures of us.  First, because we look as young and innocent as we were.  And second because the wind was blowing--we were on the roof of the Oakland LDS temple, overlooking the San Francisco bay where the wind regularly blows--and we didn't even care.  We were married, and that was all that mattered that day.

It is still all that matters.  And because of that day, we have a terrific family with two beautiful kids and a promise of eternity together.  Not too bad, considering how dumb we were when we started.

Happy Anniversary, Genius Golfer!  I love you and our life together.

Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

Remember this project? If not, I'll fill you in. Two years ago next month our neice Larisa got married. In preparation for that lovely day, The Girl and her girly little cousins were going to have lovely flower girly dresses. Part of the bodice had beading on it. And I did the beading. All of it. Every last one. Dangit.

I hate beading now.

Well, the little girls' dresses never got completed to the mother of the bride's liking, so the dresses didn't get worn for the wedding. Grandmama thought that they'd get the dresses fixed to satisfy the MOTB, and then the girls and Larisa, in her beautiful bridal gown, could have some post-wedding photos taken. That never happened.

Larisa and her husband, Phil, now have a little six month old baby girl, Keili.

Yesterday The Girl was prepping for the first day of school (and also school picture day, as it happens) and was moving things aroudn in her closet. She tried on her flower girl dress. The zipper couldn't be zipped because her shoulders are too wide of the dress now.

So, I spent the better part of nearly a month beading my brains out on a dress The Girl never wore, and consequently didn't like, and now can't fit into again.

I took the unused, never-worn, overbeaded gown of a dress to the dressy, petite, non-sporty neighbor girls to see if they liked it at all or could alter it to make a prom or semi-formal dress for a school dance.

Maybe they can get some use out of it. And The Girl gets the closet space back.

For the Bride with the Fish Face

We drove about 1500 miles in roughly three days. We arrived home this morning about 1:30 AM. Whew. I'm tired and Genius Golfer did ALL the driving!

Larisa and Phil had a beautiful wedding. The ceremony was lovely, of course, and they looked so "Barbie and Ken" together.

The weather was cooperative, save the southern California humidity. The nearly-weds took bridal photos on the San Diego beach the night before their wedding, and the proofs looked beautiful. The bride's hair held it's curl only a minute or two, but still looked great!

It was a very long and fast trip for us, but well worth it. We love Larisa and are coming to love Phil as well. Phil's family was so gracious and hospitable. His dad put our whole fam-damily up in their time share condos in San Diego and then took everyone to a delish breakfast at a cute place called Ruby's (If you ever get a chance to try it, be sure to order the cinnamon roll french toast---It was carb heaven!) on the morning of the wedding.

Larisa and Phil are well matched and have suitable temperaments. The are faithful and God-fearing and seem to enjoy making each other comfortable and happy. As they grow up together in this marriage, I'm sure they will strengthen each other and grow stronger together.

We were honored to be there with them, and love them more for the example they have set for their cousins. Even if she didn't like to keep taking "kissing shots" and actually pulled a "Fish Face" for me.

On the Road...and Again

Genius Golfer and I, along with Grandmama, are heading to San Diego today for a very quick trip. Miss Larisa is getting married tomorrow in the Golden State and we are headed down for her wedding. Then we are headed right back to try to make it to The Girl's championship soccer game on Saturday morning.

I am delighted for Larisa. Her fiance, Phil, seems like a really nice guy and they get along well with the rest of the extended family. It feels like we have been in Cousins Wedding Mode for most of the year since Nephew Travis got married last month and now Niece Larisa. But this is what kids do when they grow up, right?

I have guilt for leaving my own kids with Dear Friend Chris. Chris will be great, and the kids should be great, but it really isn't her job to do, it's mine. I'm ditching out on a regional PTA meeting that I am supposed to be going to (the second in as many months), and then I have to skip my junior high PTSA shift selling suckers. But worst yet is I have to leave my ALS Care-shift with my Dear Friend Tammy, who really does need the help. I gave plenty of notice all the way around, and I have people covering for me. But that doesn't relieve the guilt.

Perhaps, it is not guilt as much as an overactive sense of responsibility. (But as I heard once, "Most Guilt Trips Are Self-Guided".)

It is probably better I run away with GG for a little bit just to be reminded that the world will not fall down without my supervision. Maybe everyone else needs the chance to serve and shine in that service. My sincerest thanks to everyone who is picking up my slack this weekend!

Either way, it will be very fast trip for us and when I do get back, I want a full report.

One disappointed girl...ME!

I had hoped today that I could share with you the fun afternoon The Girl got to have with her girl cousins--Miss Larisa, the bride to be, and her two younger cousins--as they took photos with Larisa for her bridal sitting. This was the reason for the hurried beading like a madwoman last weekend.

Well, it didn't happen.

Larisa called me just as The Girl was walking in the door from school yesterday--about 40 minutes before we were to leave to meet up with the cousins--to say not to worry about it, the girl's part of the photo shoot was off.

Why, you wonder? Because the dresses were not done.

Larisa assured me that they would still take some photos of the girls with her in her wedding gown at the open house, in three weeks!

Argh. Maybe the degree of difficulty of the dresses chosen was the problem. Maybe they should have just been little sun dresses and flip flops that we all picked up on clearance at Target. Maybe the beading should have been left off all together and just had the lovely pin tucking fronts.

I feel bad for Grandmama who was sewing the dresses together once the beading fiasco was done. She had a lot to do. I'm sure the time frame wasn't great for her either.

I feel really bad for Larisa who hasn't been able to do the things she wanted for this wedding the way she and her fiance wanted to do them. Her choices have been eclipsed by what other people have decided. It is her wedding, after all.

And I feel bad for Larisa's mom who just isn't getting it yet. She could have had this fantastic bonding, mother-daughter time in preparation for the wedding together with Larisa, but is so stressed out that she is missing the moments with her daughter. Instead she has missed the precious opportunities that only come along once.

So, we had take-home pizza last night for dinner and a football game for The Boy and I had a presidency meeting for my Young Women calling and The Girl stayed home to read. All the crazy evening business I had planned for went out the window. But I didn't mind. Better to be over prepared, than not at all. And it all reminded me that less is more, and that is the way I like it anyway.

Beading My Brains Out!

This is what I have been doing since Thursday. This is the front bodice piece for a "flower girl" dress for The Girl for our niece, Larisa's wedding. Luckily, this is the only piece I have to bead.

This is The girl with the first version I beaded. The beads are at every OTHER intersection of pin tucking. It is delicate and light and quite pretty, even if I do say so myself.

This is with the beads on EVERY intersection. When there is no flash, it looks like thinning chain mail over a lovely periwinkle blue. The Girl is not happy about wearing such a froo-froo kind of dress. (We are plain Janes around here, aren't we?!) When her cousin Larisa asked her to do this the plan was for a beach themed party! But Larisa's plan was thwarted and it is now turning into full blown reception, just what she didn't want.

I have little to complain about, really. The Girl is getting a lovely dress that grandmama is putting together for me. Grandmama assured The Girl that the dress lining will allow us to snip out the beads when we are done with this wedding circus and she will be able to wear the dress to church. My other SIL, Brenda, has two girls getting little dresses like this, beading and all. I am glad to just do the one.

Frankly, if I have learned nothing else, it is this: The bride's opinion matters! And when The Girl gets to that stage in her life, I'd like to think I would respect her choices and make the best of what she wants. Besides, I think I have her talked into eloping anyway. It's decades away, but I'll keep you posted.

T minus 30 days

Just when you though the wedding talk was all but over on this blog, I am here to tell you that we are in the final month count down for my niece, Larisa's wedding coming in September. Larisa is the younger sister to Travis, who was married on Saturday. Can you see why my sister-in-law, Lori, was freaking out?! Yeah, me too.

Genius Golfer and his beautiful niece, Larisa

Larisa and her sweetie Phil, are getting married in San Diego the third week of September. She had a much more casual plan than her brother and his intended. Larisa and Phil are all about the celebration of a new life together and less about traditions and society's expectations. My kind of girl. I'll keep you posted on the plans, but it is fun to see our nephew and niece grow into such wonderful adults, ready to take a new step in their lives. Their new loves are great too and we look forward to getting to know and love them as the years pass. We are proud of both of them and love them a lot.

We just need to keep their mom breathing through all of this.

Travis and Lacey

Travis and Lacey were married this morning in Manti. They looked lovely and a little like a Ken and Barbie set--don't tell them that, though. The day has been and will be filled with family luncheons, receptions, and all the fun that goes with it. We wish them luck as they begin their life together and tell them "We love you" for doing it the right way and thanks for setting a good example for your cousins.

More details after this crazy day is over. Aunt Lori is also surviving to this point. Will keep you posted!