Thursday, August 09, 2007

Family and Friends/Old and New Part Two

It was so good to see Aunt Virginia at my cousin's wedding. She has overcome some great trials these last 12 months. We lost Uncle Skillet (who treated her like a Princess for almost 60 years of marriage). She was diagnosed with breast cancer and endured surgery and treatment for that. And she moved out of a home she had lived in for at least 50 years. That's one strong woman!

We arrived early for the outdoor wedding of my cousin Kristy's daughter Nicole. Nicole was about 5 when my dad died-she was so special to him-like a grandchild really. I'm so glad Dad had Nicole and Matt to "love on" since he died before Wade married Kana and they had Taishi.

Kristy worked feverishly on all the last minute details of the wedding while the wedding party posed for pictures. Especially smile-inducing was the antics of Dean, Kristy's grandson. I had heard "brags" of this 2.5 year old, but figured the raves were skewed by a Great-grandmother's bias. Not so. He was all that and MORE. So photogenic and all boy. His face tattled on his thoughts—so animated!

The wedding ceremony celebrated the happy couple's friendship. Not so happy was the weather-with near 100 degrees and near 100% humidity. Rivulets of sweat trickled between my should blades, despite the wedding-fans that were distributed (like the old-fashioned paper funeral fans of days gone by). Iced bottled water also available during the wedding quenched the thirst but didn't put the "fire" out!

We drove to the country club for the reception. Each table was graced with miniature bottles of bubble-blowing liquid for guests to create an archway of bubbles through which the bride and groom entered. Each table also had silver bells to ring to encourage the bride and groom to kiss. Guests were equipped with disposable cameras, to record all the evening's activities.

It meant a lot to attend, to represent the well-wishes my father would have wanted for Nicole on her wedding day (as well as my own).

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