Today, we celebrate my beloveds 40th birthday. Not a small milestone. Not a let's go to pizza for event. And the day after Christmas makes it very very very easy on me to get it all done. But I did. Not without a few compromises of my soul and a couple of promises to God that I will totally make it up to HIm this week. But it got done, Mike is happy and that's all I cared about. We had yet another combined Meeker/Oliver/Santos event. It was not what I'm sure Mike envisioned when throwing down 40 but it was nice for a lot of reasons.
First, this is just the prelude to his actual celebration. We go on our cruise on the 15th for his actual birthday. We'll be gone about 10 days and are sailing to an unknown location that is a big surprise. He was so excited to get the "ship" for his birthday. Today, he got additional clues. A pirate lunch box, a CD of pirate songs and gold chocolate coins along with some binoculars. He knows he's going, he knows it's where they have had pirates in the past. That's all. I'm so happy he'll be surprised. His party consisted of crime scene tape on the outside of the house, a ciopinno feast for a king for dinner, presents and a video that chronicled all that was cool in 1970. It was a fun night but the real present and fun starts on the cruise. I gave a toast for his birthday and I realized that I have loved Mike for over half of our lives. I love this man more than I could ever do justice on a blog about. He is my (fill in the blank) and that pretty much sums it up. I am not me without our partnership. The person he thinks I am is exactly who I want to become. He makes me laugh. We argue big. We still fight big (although not as big as when we first got married and never ever in an unhealthy way in front of the kids) and we play and love even bigger. I would say our marriage has been 3% hell, 5% hard, 80% happy, contented, affirmations of why you picked each other, and 12% this is the best day of my life I love this person so much it hurts I can never lose them or I would die I am so happy I can't believe my life turned out this way I can't believe the love I get to have is this kind of huge sort of swamp you and take your breath away love I am so lucky. I think those are pretty good percentages. I feel so very lucky. And today is one of those days in that 12%.
So at 40...Mike can still run faster than most people I know. Sometimes I'll be walking into the mall, restaurant, movie theatre etc. and he's forgotten something in the car. He runs back to get it. I'll hear running right behind me coming closer and I know to stop and steady myself because without asking he's going to jump over my head. And I feel the lightest pressure of my shoulders and he goes flying over my head and lands on two feet like it was no big deal. He can still run really fast. He is not jaded or cynical. He still loves life, loves people, loves his job, loves this country, believes there are tons more good people in the world than bad and believes that you can't judge a person by what they look like or who they hang around with our their economic or religious affiliation. He loves my family and has accepted them into his heart. He is the type of Dad who plays hard, loves hard, tells his kids why he thinks they are so awesome every day and why he would want to be their friend even if he wasn't their dad. He still wants to put them to bed, read them a story and snuggle for a sec even if he's had them all day. He never tires of his kids or being with them. He is a friend to the end, always on my side, always backs me up, even when I'm wrong. Then, in private he'll tell me "Aim, you need to rethink this situation because you are wrong." I can tell him anything, even stuff that we need to change about us. I will never ever leave him. I will never want to leave him. If I had a million dollars to bet, I would bet the same would be true about him. I don't believe he will ever leave me and I don't believe he'd ever want to leave us. We are each other's person. And our family dynamic is so overwhelming in it's feelings of belonging, trust, love and forever that I think we will end up together for as long as the Lord allows us to continue this fantastic journey together. This man, this man/boy who is 40 today stole my heart 21 years ago.. And I'm all the better for it. Thank you my favorite friend, for just being by my side, growing old but refusing to act it and making me giggle, roll my eyes and just be for the past 21 years. I'll love you forever.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Hot Potato
It's just a potato. Why is it such a big freaking deal? I LOVE potatoes. I grew up in a house where we ate rice every night. Our dinner always was a piece of meat, steamed Asian style rice in an old rice cooker with kikkoman soy sauce and a vegetable of some sort. When I got married I was so excited to be rid of rice forever. Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on your take) Mike had served as a missionary for two years in the pacific islands. And guess what he ate every day for two years and absolutely loved and HAD TO HAD TO HAD TO have it every night with dinner? Rice. Cooked in a rice cooker. Yuck and yuck.
But I digress. This post is not about rice or my resentful history with this tiny grain. (Random rice fact: did you know if you go to Japan and eat sushi rice it is most likely imported from Sacramento, CA? cool huh?) So potatoes. The simple spud. Cheap and relatively easy to make in a variety of ways. Mashed, roasted, baked, boiled, in pot roast, in stew, scalloped, au gratin, potato latkes, potato pancakes, potato rolls, all deliciously awesome. But today, I'd like to talk about the best way to eat a potato. You guessed it...FRIED BABY. Specifically the french fry. Be warned, the rest of this post may stir controversy that could sweep our nation and over shadow Christmas this year. I guarantee, if you keep reading, you will be compelled to discuss this issue with your relatives at Christmas dinner.
French Fries? When served hot and salty with a ton of room temperature ketchup, is there anything better? The answer is no. But I'm disgusted by the way most restaurants have castrated the little french fry. Most fast food joints make disgusting, cardboard tasting versions of fries that we Americans shovel into our pie holes as fast as we can get them down. Gross. Even In & Out burger who makes you watch the potato cutting production as you sit in the drive thru makes sucky fries. sucky. Maybe the suckiest of all. That is why when my beloved and I found ourselves at our new 5 Guys the other night, I gave a silent prayer of thanks that there are people in the world that take fry making seriously and do it right.
Back in the nineties, Mike and I were a dual income no kids Washington DC working couple. Summer would take us to old town Alexandria, Virginia for walking and shopping. There was a greasy, crowded, run down 5 Guys on Hwy 1 in which we would stop for a burger and fries. In the summer, the grease residue would stick to the floor and you would literally have to slide your feet on the grease or you would slip and fall. I've seen grown men enter the 5 Guys in Alexandria and promptly biff it on the floor. I was VERY concerned when I found out that 5 Guys had gone corporate and they were opening franchises across the country. I figured they would go the way of Krispy Kreme where their product wasn't even recognizable after they expanded. Seriously the hot glazed doughnuts of the original Krispy Kremes was not at all even close to what those green roofed impostors sold out of their drive thru windows. ANYWAY, 5 Guys. I was scared. Because they have been the gold standard of french fry I have used for a long time. We entered our shiny new 5 Guys the other night and I sniffed. Hmmmm, it smells too new. I thought. I tried sliding my foot. No grease residue, people were just safely walking about. But then I saw the white board. It listed what kind of potatoes they were serving that day and where they came from. Just like the old 5 Guys did. I always thought that was a key to their fry success. If you care enough to write down the source of your potatoes, you probably care about them. The night we went to 5 Guys the potatoes were from a farm in Wyoming. We stood in line and ordered our burgers which is a very involved process if you've ever been to 5 Guys. Then, I ordered a small order of cajun fries. We slid down the line moving further down the counter. We paid for our food in an area in which you could see the fry station. And what I saw that night let me know that all was right in the world.
A new employee was running the fry station. She was obviously new because the store was new so unless she transferred from another 5 Guys, she probably had not worked there longer than a few weeks. Her manager was standing next to her watching. He stopped her. He took over the fry station. He plucked one of his fries out of the basket and broke it in half. I heard him say, they need to be crisp on the outside but do you see how soft and fluffy they are inside? That's how we need them to look. And he went over the very intense process 5 Guys uses in making their fries. I wondered if it was possible that my fries might actually be decent. We took our bag of grease to the car. We each took a fry. Mike looked at me and said "Moment of truth..." and we dipped in ketchup and sampled the fries. I think we both moaned. They were the same. Exactly the same as when we had them six years ago. Perfect french fries. And we high fived and drove home happily munching our fries.
The perfect french fry is a lot harder to make than you think. You first must have fresh potatoes. Fresh!!! Then you must cut them. Then you must soak them in cold ice water overnight. This releases a lot of starch that will screw up your fry. Then you drain and rinse them. Next, you half cook them. You lower your temp of oil to like 325 and you cook them until they are half way done. Then you take them out of the oil, drain them and set them aside. When you are ready for fries to eat, you crank up the oil to like 375 and crisp them up. This leaves you with a crisp outside and a fluffy, soft inside that can steam but won't affect the integrity of the fry. Season with whatever makes you happy. Sea salt and ketchup is the safest and most sure bet. But if you are at 5 Guys, you may trust their cajun seasoning. It is excellent.
Now go and discuss. Be prepared to have a fight on your hands. There are people out there who love In & Out fries. Gross. And people swear McDonald's fries are the best there are. And they aren't bad if they are super hot and cooked properly. But 5 Guys fries are still good cold. Swear.
So this Christmas enjoy your turkey, prime rib, ham and pumpkin pie. But before you start your diet on January 1st, swing by a 5 Guys, eat an order of fries and think of me.
Thank you very much for your time and attention. Merry Christmas.
Peace (on earth).Out.
But I digress. This post is not about rice or my resentful history with this tiny grain. (Random rice fact: did you know if you go to Japan and eat sushi rice it is most likely imported from Sacramento, CA? cool huh?) So potatoes. The simple spud. Cheap and relatively easy to make in a variety of ways. Mashed, roasted, baked, boiled, in pot roast, in stew, scalloped, au gratin, potato latkes, potato pancakes, potato rolls, all deliciously awesome. But today, I'd like to talk about the best way to eat a potato. You guessed it...FRIED BABY. Specifically the french fry. Be warned, the rest of this post may stir controversy that could sweep our nation and over shadow Christmas this year. I guarantee, if you keep reading, you will be compelled to discuss this issue with your relatives at Christmas dinner.
French Fries? When served hot and salty with a ton of room temperature ketchup, is there anything better? The answer is no. But I'm disgusted by the way most restaurants have castrated the little french fry. Most fast food joints make disgusting, cardboard tasting versions of fries that we Americans shovel into our pie holes as fast as we can get them down. Gross. Even In & Out burger who makes you watch the potato cutting production as you sit in the drive thru makes sucky fries. sucky. Maybe the suckiest of all. That is why when my beloved and I found ourselves at our new 5 Guys the other night, I gave a silent prayer of thanks that there are people in the world that take fry making seriously and do it right.
Back in the nineties, Mike and I were a dual income no kids Washington DC working couple. Summer would take us to old town Alexandria, Virginia for walking and shopping. There was a greasy, crowded, run down 5 Guys on Hwy 1 in which we would stop for a burger and fries. In the summer, the grease residue would stick to the floor and you would literally have to slide your feet on the grease or you would slip and fall. I've seen grown men enter the 5 Guys in Alexandria and promptly biff it on the floor. I was VERY concerned when I found out that 5 Guys had gone corporate and they were opening franchises across the country. I figured they would go the way of Krispy Kreme where their product wasn't even recognizable after they expanded. Seriously the hot glazed doughnuts of the original Krispy Kremes was not at all even close to what those green roofed impostors sold out of their drive thru windows. ANYWAY, 5 Guys. I was scared. Because they have been the gold standard of french fry I have used for a long time. We entered our shiny new 5 Guys the other night and I sniffed. Hmmmm, it smells too new. I thought. I tried sliding my foot. No grease residue, people were just safely walking about. But then I saw the white board. It listed what kind of potatoes they were serving that day and where they came from. Just like the old 5 Guys did. I always thought that was a key to their fry success. If you care enough to write down the source of your potatoes, you probably care about them. The night we went to 5 Guys the potatoes were from a farm in Wyoming. We stood in line and ordered our burgers which is a very involved process if you've ever been to 5 Guys. Then, I ordered a small order of cajun fries. We slid down the line moving further down the counter. We paid for our food in an area in which you could see the fry station. And what I saw that night let me know that all was right in the world.
A new employee was running the fry station. She was obviously new because the store was new so unless she transferred from another 5 Guys, she probably had not worked there longer than a few weeks. Her manager was standing next to her watching. He stopped her. He took over the fry station. He plucked one of his fries out of the basket and broke it in half. I heard him say, they need to be crisp on the outside but do you see how soft and fluffy they are inside? That's how we need them to look. And he went over the very intense process 5 Guys uses in making their fries. I wondered if it was possible that my fries might actually be decent. We took our bag of grease to the car. We each took a fry. Mike looked at me and said "Moment of truth..." and we dipped in ketchup and sampled the fries. I think we both moaned. They were the same. Exactly the same as when we had them six years ago. Perfect french fries. And we high fived and drove home happily munching our fries.
The perfect french fry is a lot harder to make than you think. You first must have fresh potatoes. Fresh!!! Then you must cut them. Then you must soak them in cold ice water overnight. This releases a lot of starch that will screw up your fry. Then you drain and rinse them. Next, you half cook them. You lower your temp of oil to like 325 and you cook them until they are half way done. Then you take them out of the oil, drain them and set them aside. When you are ready for fries to eat, you crank up the oil to like 375 and crisp them up. This leaves you with a crisp outside and a fluffy, soft inside that can steam but won't affect the integrity of the fry. Season with whatever makes you happy. Sea salt and ketchup is the safest and most sure bet. But if you are at 5 Guys, you may trust their cajun seasoning. It is excellent.
Now go and discuss. Be prepared to have a fight on your hands. There are people out there who love In & Out fries. Gross. And people swear McDonald's fries are the best there are. And they aren't bad if they are super hot and cooked properly. But 5 Guys fries are still good cold. Swear.
So this Christmas enjoy your turkey, prime rib, ham and pumpkin pie. But before you start your diet on January 1st, swing by a 5 Guys, eat an order of fries and think of me.
Thank you very much for your time and attention. Merry Christmas.
Peace (on earth).Out.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Christmas is sort of hard. Joyous. But hard.
I think I'm supposed to feel melancholy at Christmas right? I miss old friends who I wish were in my life. Usually, it's through some fault of my own that they are not and that makes me sentimental and a little bit sad. And then I got shopping and it seems like everything that screams to me from the shelves is saying "Amy dahhhhling, you would look so fabulous in me. Buy me my puppet and we'll live forever in fashion heaven!" But isn't buying yourself something the week of Christmas sort of inviting bad and selfish kharma? Is it even allowed? And my girls. Oh my girls. They are at the prime age for Christmas magic and wonder. They are so excited and want to do it all. Carolling, lights, cocoa, marshmallows, Christmas Specials in this order (Rudolph, Frosty, Polar Express, Grinch-old version, Charlie Brown, Santa Claus in Comin' To Town, some new one about the little elves getting packages out and delivered I think it's called Prep and Landing, The Santa Clause, Miracle on 34th Street -the old one in black and white but never ever NO NEVER will they watch It's A Wonderful Life. But yes, we have to watch all of those specials. Then, tree trimming. Mike and Jessica are Katie and my nemesis when it comes to tree trimming. They want everything hung just so, lights balanced, ornaments not clumped. "YOU'RE CLUMPING KATIE" screams Jessica. "Amy, the lights look like they are in a straight line, you need to twist them around the branches", scolds Mikey. So Katie and I plop ourselves on the loveseat in each others arms and we tickle backs and snuggle together and share kisses and whispered Christmas songs. All the while we watch our two favorite people decorate the tree in gleeful holiday harmony now that we are out of the way. We watch the two go at it, hands on hips and high fiving each other every two seconds and we giggle and go make cocoa. It's funny. But our tree looks nice and we get it done.
It's a tradition in our house that IF YOU ARE A SPECIAL CHILD...A VERY EXTRA SPECIAL CHILD...then sometime before Christmas, Santa delivers a note and a snow glow with him inside the globe to your house and under your pillow. The note says something about how special you are and how he can watch all the good things you do for others from inside the globe and keep track of all the good you are doing between now and Christmas. Our globes usually appear the night we decorate the tree. Somehow, Santa knows when that is going to happen and when the girls climb into bed that night, their globes and notes are waiting for them. They have a different globe for each year and we've saved all the letters. This is a tradition we just totally made up so I hope it's one the girls love as they get older.
I am hosting Christmas Eve on Friday night. We just do heavy appetizers and mocktails. We have a gingerbread house decorating contest and we frost cookies for Santa. We read the nativity story from the Bible. We have a nativity set that is one of those Fischer Price Playschool ones. The girls love getting to play with it every year. As we read the story, the girls place the people when they are mentioned in the scripture. It's so fun for the girls and man they know the story of Jesus' birth backwards and forwards. I wish so badly they had more cousins so we could do the Christmas pageant. But such is life. They don't seem to be lacking for anything.
We'll be doing Christmas morning at my Moms. Then, we'll be getting ready for Christmas dinner at our house but going over to my Mom's to actually eat the dinner. Mike's parents will join us this year which will be nice. It will be a quiet group, just us, our parents, grandmothers and that's it. But I'm glad. I wish some of Mike's brothers would be with us but they are all spread out all over the country.
I think the reason I think Christmas is hard is because it all seemed magical as a kid. The food just appeared on the plates. The home-made cookies, fudge etc. seemed to be never ending and came out of nowhere. We stayed up late and watched each person open their gifts one by one. We stayed up until 2 or 3 in the morning playing with our new presents and getting them ready for use. Never did we wonder who made that yummy jello salad or who made sure we had santa napkins or my pretty holiday dress. It seemed like I always had that one thing under the tree that I was hoping for. I lived this idyllic, perfect childhood. Don't think I don't know how wonderful and perfect I had it. We loved each other on top of it all too.
Now, it's my job to make sure my girls are raised with that same sort of security. I want them to believe Santa brings the globes to their rooms . I want to make their favorite snacks for Christmas Eve and leave time for their very favorite thing which is decorating cookies. I want them to see Christmas in sparkles, with pictures of smiling faces, kisses, hugs, cuddling and good times. I want there to always be that one special thing under the tree that they are hoping for most of all. I want them to always give their own Christmas presents to their grandparents, parents and each other. They are more excited for people to open a present from them than for them to get a present them self. I want to instill and excitement in giving. That it's not a hassle, it's not something you have to cross off a list but it's something joyous that you do with thought and you give with love. I want them to tell their children..."my mom and dad made Christmas perfect for us...they took care of everything"
So that's why Christmas is hard. I realize it's a lot of work and that my parents and grandparents have been busting their butts for years. But they did it because of what they wanted to give me as a memory. And I am so thankful.
Both of my girls are very excited to sing about the birth of Jesus and to tell the story of Jesus this year. I'm very happy they aren't just excited about the presents and Santa. I think we'll get it all done. It will be joyous...
What are your Christmas traditions? I'm always looking for new ones to add....
It's a tradition in our house that IF YOU ARE A SPECIAL CHILD...A VERY EXTRA SPECIAL CHILD...then sometime before Christmas, Santa delivers a note and a snow glow with him inside the globe to your house and under your pillow. The note says something about how special you are and how he can watch all the good things you do for others from inside the globe and keep track of all the good you are doing between now and Christmas. Our globes usually appear the night we decorate the tree. Somehow, Santa knows when that is going to happen and when the girls climb into bed that night, their globes and notes are waiting for them. They have a different globe for each year and we've saved all the letters. This is a tradition we just totally made up so I hope it's one the girls love as they get older.
I am hosting Christmas Eve on Friday night. We just do heavy appetizers and mocktails. We have a gingerbread house decorating contest and we frost cookies for Santa. We read the nativity story from the Bible. We have a nativity set that is one of those Fischer Price Playschool ones. The girls love getting to play with it every year. As we read the story, the girls place the people when they are mentioned in the scripture. It's so fun for the girls and man they know the story of Jesus' birth backwards and forwards. I wish so badly they had more cousins so we could do the Christmas pageant. But such is life. They don't seem to be lacking for anything.
We'll be doing Christmas morning at my Moms. Then, we'll be getting ready for Christmas dinner at our house but going over to my Mom's to actually eat the dinner. Mike's parents will join us this year which will be nice. It will be a quiet group, just us, our parents, grandmothers and that's it. But I'm glad. I wish some of Mike's brothers would be with us but they are all spread out all over the country.
I think the reason I think Christmas is hard is because it all seemed magical as a kid. The food just appeared on the plates. The home-made cookies, fudge etc. seemed to be never ending and came out of nowhere. We stayed up late and watched each person open their gifts one by one. We stayed up until 2 or 3 in the morning playing with our new presents and getting them ready for use. Never did we wonder who made that yummy jello salad or who made sure we had santa napkins or my pretty holiday dress. It seemed like I always had that one thing under the tree that I was hoping for. I lived this idyllic, perfect childhood. Don't think I don't know how wonderful and perfect I had it. We loved each other on top of it all too.
Now, it's my job to make sure my girls are raised with that same sort of security. I want them to believe Santa brings the globes to their rooms . I want to make their favorite snacks for Christmas Eve and leave time for their very favorite thing which is decorating cookies. I want them to see Christmas in sparkles, with pictures of smiling faces, kisses, hugs, cuddling and good times. I want there to always be that one special thing under the tree that they are hoping for most of all. I want them to always give their own Christmas presents to their grandparents, parents and each other. They are more excited for people to open a present from them than for them to get a present them self. I want to instill and excitement in giving. That it's not a hassle, it's not something you have to cross off a list but it's something joyous that you do with thought and you give with love. I want them to tell their children..."my mom and dad made Christmas perfect for us...they took care of everything"
So that's why Christmas is hard. I realize it's a lot of work and that my parents and grandparents have been busting their butts for years. But they did it because of what they wanted to give me as a memory. And I am so thankful.
Both of my girls are very excited to sing about the birth of Jesus and to tell the story of Jesus this year. I'm very happy they aren't just excited about the presents and Santa. I think we'll get it all done. It will be joyous...
What are your Christmas traditions? I'm always looking for new ones to add....
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Road To Getting A Baby Sister
Thanksgiving really is my favorite holiday. I love the honesty of it. I love how, for one moment, our souls are stripped bare, like the trees outside and we are forced to stand in front of a group of people and declare what we are most thankful for. I don't think we do enough thanking in this world. I don't think we take time to look someone in the eyes, put our hand on their arm and tell them that the act of kindness they just bestowed on a child or the card in the mail last month or the telephone call out of the blue meant something to us. It's very easy to go through this life wondering if anything you do matters at all. Does anyone notice how hard I am trying? Does anyone realize that was hard for me but I did it anyway because of love? Does anyone care? But then, just as I'm about ready to take the electric turkey slicer thingy to my throat and end it all because I can't get gum out of the Halloween costumes, Thanksgiving quietly taps me on the shoulder, opens her arms for a hug and says "it's okay, I'm here". And I know I'll be okay.
This year we headed south for the holiday because (and I can hardly type this without getting teary) Mike's baby brother Steve got married. The same Steve I met in 1989 when he was 3 and I was 17. The same kid who was so shy he wouldn't talk to me but he'd pull my ponytail and say "ponytail" and then run away laughing. The same kid who I eventually won over and then proceeded to take everywhere and talk about everything with. The very same kid who has held this incredibly special place in my heart for 21 years is grown up and graduated from college and married. How did that happen? Just yesterday he was on the floor playing with our dog Josh and his stuffed soccer ball, laughing for hours as they tugged and pulled and wrestled.
Apparently time passes and little boys grow up and they fall in love. Luckily in this case, he fell in love with a gentle, kind, sensitive soul who will be a wonderful sister to me and Mike and a loving, enthusiastic and positive influence as Auntie to my girls. We totally lucked out on this one. Vanessa really is perfect for us as she's perfect for Steve. I love when it works out like that.
So we found ourselves traveling down to Corona, California. We stayed at a hotel all together. My mother in law broke her foot in three places (OUCH) and is completely in a wheel chair, unable to put any bearing on her foot at all. So my sisters in law along with our husbands got together and we put together the Thanksgiving/Rehearsal dinner that Marilyn had already planned out. Amber took over decorations because she's amazing at that . Her flower arrangements looked like they were hundreds of dollars. She had the cutest ideas for name tags and she did a great job with color scheme and making it look Thanksgiving-y but also Wedding-y which is hard to do. Faith...oh Faith. Faith got all the pre work dumped in her lap because she was the only one there in So Cali prior to the event. She did all the shopping. I sent her a list and she and Ken got all the items and began prepping for the event on Thursday at 10am. I made the list and was responsible to make sure we weren't missing a step and I have to say "yay" for my list making abilities. Bill took over hosting duties and Heather helped us where we were short handed. I didn't want to give her an official job duty given she was without Rick and might need to tend to something her kids needed. The boys all ran herd on the kiddos and somehow, by the Grace of God (truly) we pulled it together. Luckily it was catered so the only thing we made was the peas and the corn. I know there's no way we could have done more stuff than that. My favorite part of the day came about half way through dinner when Bill asked each person to stand and say what they were thankful for and how they knew Vanessa and Steve. I love this part because it always surprises me what people are thankful for. This year, I was very thankful for family and how families can come together because of a union of two people. When two people get married, a new family is created. I think families are one of the strongest forces against evil there is in this world. I think a family that tries to have The Lord be part of their home and who invites Him into their family as a full member is an incredible force against evil. I feel that way about my original family of three with my mom and dad, my little family of four now with Mike and the girls. But I especially feel it when I see the girls with their grandparents and I see my Mom teaching my daughter right from wrong or I see my Dad playing some game with them all the while they are laughing and unaware a wonderful memory is being seared onto their heart and that they'll carry it forever. I grew up as an only child so there wasn't a lot of family when it came down to numbers. But there was plenty if you measured in love. I missed my family this Thanksgiving but I was so happy to be with Mike's whole family. All the brothers were there except for Rick who is deployed with the Air Force. But all the sisters and cousins were there. It made me so happy to see the girls laughing and playing with their cousins. We took the kids bowling while the boys had their bachelor party. We went to the San Diego temple for the wedding then back to Corona for the reception. The reception was in her parent's backyard with a large tent and space heaters all around. There were pearls dripping from everywhere and candles flickering. It was a romantic and beautiful setting for a reception. We danced and danced and danced and then everyone went to the front yard with sparklers to see Steve and Vanessa off on their honeymoon.
All of my sister in laws are special to me. But there's always been this part of me that knew that the day would come when I'd be cruising into age 40 and Steve would come waltzing in with some hot babe in her twenties and all the brothers (including my husband) would be fist bumping and high fiving him. And of course, then I would have to hate her. And I wasn't looking forward to it. Now, don't get me wrong, Vanessa is one hot babe, and I've caught more than enough high fives and giggling from the grown men I call my brothers to last me for a long while. But thankfully, she is so nice that it was not even a little bit painful and I don't have to hate her. Not one little bit.
This year we headed south for the holiday because (and I can hardly type this without getting teary) Mike's baby brother Steve got married. The same Steve I met in 1989 when he was 3 and I was 17. The same kid who was so shy he wouldn't talk to me but he'd pull my ponytail and say "ponytail" and then run away laughing. The same kid who I eventually won over and then proceeded to take everywhere and talk about everything with. The very same kid who has held this incredibly special place in my heart for 21 years is grown up and graduated from college and married. How did that happen? Just yesterday he was on the floor playing with our dog Josh and his stuffed soccer ball, laughing for hours as they tugged and pulled and wrestled.
Apparently time passes and little boys grow up and they fall in love. Luckily in this case, he fell in love with a gentle, kind, sensitive soul who will be a wonderful sister to me and Mike and a loving, enthusiastic and positive influence as Auntie to my girls. We totally lucked out on this one. Vanessa really is perfect for us as she's perfect for Steve. I love when it works out like that.
So we found ourselves traveling down to Corona, California. We stayed at a hotel all together. My mother in law broke her foot in three places (OUCH) and is completely in a wheel chair, unable to put any bearing on her foot at all. So my sisters in law along with our husbands got together and we put together the Thanksgiving/Rehearsal dinner that Marilyn had already planned out. Amber took over decorations because she's amazing at that . Her flower arrangements looked like they were hundreds of dollars. She had the cutest ideas for name tags and she did a great job with color scheme and making it look Thanksgiving-y but also Wedding-y which is hard to do. Faith...oh Faith. Faith got all the pre work dumped in her lap because she was the only one there in So Cali prior to the event. She did all the shopping. I sent her a list and she and Ken got all the items and began prepping for the event on Thursday at 10am. I made the list and was responsible to make sure we weren't missing a step and I have to say "yay" for my list making abilities. Bill took over hosting duties and Heather helped us where we were short handed. I didn't want to give her an official job duty given she was without Rick and might need to tend to something her kids needed. The boys all ran herd on the kiddos and somehow, by the Grace of God (truly) we pulled it together. Luckily it was catered so the only thing we made was the peas and the corn. I know there's no way we could have done more stuff than that. My favorite part of the day came about half way through dinner when Bill asked each person to stand and say what they were thankful for and how they knew Vanessa and Steve. I love this part because it always surprises me what people are thankful for. This year, I was very thankful for family and how families can come together because of a union of two people. When two people get married, a new family is created. I think families are one of the strongest forces against evil there is in this world. I think a family that tries to have The Lord be part of their home and who invites Him into their family as a full member is an incredible force against evil. I feel that way about my original family of three with my mom and dad, my little family of four now with Mike and the girls. But I especially feel it when I see the girls with their grandparents and I see my Mom teaching my daughter right from wrong or I see my Dad playing some game with them all the while they are laughing and unaware a wonderful memory is being seared onto their heart and that they'll carry it forever. I grew up as an only child so there wasn't a lot of family when it came down to numbers. But there was plenty if you measured in love. I missed my family this Thanksgiving but I was so happy to be with Mike's whole family. All the brothers were there except for Rick who is deployed with the Air Force. But all the sisters and cousins were there. It made me so happy to see the girls laughing and playing with their cousins. We took the kids bowling while the boys had their bachelor party. We went to the San Diego temple for the wedding then back to Corona for the reception. The reception was in her parent's backyard with a large tent and space heaters all around. There were pearls dripping from everywhere and candles flickering. It was a romantic and beautiful setting for a reception. We danced and danced and danced and then everyone went to the front yard with sparklers to see Steve and Vanessa off on their honeymoon.
All of my sister in laws are special to me. But there's always been this part of me that knew that the day would come when I'd be cruising into age 40 and Steve would come waltzing in with some hot babe in her twenties and all the brothers (including my husband) would be fist bumping and high fiving him. And of course, then I would have to hate her. And I wasn't looking forward to it. Now, don't get me wrong, Vanessa is one hot babe, and I've caught more than enough high fives and giggling from the grown men I call my brothers to last me for a long while. But thankfully, she is so nice that it was not even a little bit painful and I don't have to hate her. Not one little bit.
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