Father of the Bride

Every once-in-awhile a guy marries into the family and it feels like he's been there all along. Easy to talk to. Smart. Funny. I'm talking about Ed, my cousin, Patty's husband. Together they make a classy couple with a lot of heart. And they have kids. Two daughters, nine years apart. Talk about NOT taking NO for an answer. But that's Pat ~ and that's Ed. That's who they are. The women in our family are rather headstrong and determined once they make up their minds (now that is another story in itself). In short, we get what we go after... Ed didn't stand a chance. Oh, yes, we know we make people miserable but we make them happy more than anything else and in the end, that is what counts...


And so, we have Alysa getting married... the youngest daughter... smart, funny, energetic and full of life and about to make her Dad, "Father of The Bride..."   


Luke and  Alyssa


Sounds like an epic Romance Novel, doesn't it? He's eye candy (hey, I'm not dead)... it was a slightly overcast day ~ it is simple, brief, heartfelt, and they pour black and white sand together to symbolize their union as the ceremony ends...a gentle rain falls. A good spiritual omen ~ the angels are crying tears of joy.

I Could Have Danced All Night....

Our family knows how to celebrate all of life... birth, death, divorce, separation, and weddings we are particularly great at... we've had our share.  My favorite cousins are all here tonight ~ now a rare occurrence. We grew up spending weekends and family holidays together believing we would always have time together. Instead we got married, got "real" jobs, moved away, had kids of our own and blended in other families to become this cosmic blended family that sees rarely sees each other. So when the original core of us land in one place it is exciting to be together and to share a new beginning. And this is the night...

We toast each other, tell stories (most of them true and funny), and dance... yes, dance... and there is something to be said for the Father of the Bride that can be happy enough to dance like a 16-year old without a care in the world ~ other than paying for the wedding... is there any greater joy than dancingwith your granddaughters?

 Fathers and Daughters...

I didn't really know Luke...  but he repeatedly showed up at family events (this is good) and he's good looking ~eye candy (hey, I'm not dead) ... so we were getting used to seeing this guy around. Right? And then Luke and Alysa had Lexie and I thought... oh, this might be serious?  Naturally you wonder if he'll treat Alysa right and always be there for her, and even love her when she's a crappy mess, etc... even when it's not your kid the "mother thing" kicks in automatically (compulsively as Craig tells me) and you ask yourself these crazy things... So here we are at the dance... Ed moves out to the dance floor for the Father~Daughter dance with Alyssa... and then his oldest daughter, Dana...

 In everyone's life there are defining moments - brief - like the light of a firefly - when you let go and celebrate with the first steps of their most meaningful journeys in life without you... and those are the moments we remember forever and ever......  at the end, just when you think it's all over and dance floor is cleared, Luke makes a request to the band and swings out to the dance floor with his little girl, Lexie. Next to her Mom, this is his clearly his most important dance of the night. She's too young to dance and will never remember this moment, but we will...

They say you can judge a man's character by the way he treats women and children... so to look at the pictures of Luke, Lexie, and his Mom - the expression on his face tells you everything you need to know... and us too -- Welcome to the family, Luke!

Father ~ Daughter Dance

We Are Family....

Cousins... I shared growing up with ~ Marilyn and Pam.  We are in agreement that we are still growing up. Marilyn taught me how to smoke and drive when we were 8-years-old in Uncle Bernie's old Chevy in the back field. With pretend cigarettes and "traveling the world" Of course, she always drove... and smoked.. Imagination is a strong trait in our family ...

     Pam taught me the Miranda Warning in parent negotiations (she was good...) "tell the truth ~ not every little detail.."  Now she's a teacher and I wonder how she explains the Miranda Warning to her students?  By the way, neither one of her kids turned out to be lawyers or police officers. No surprise there.

Sisters and Stories ~ Is this little nine-year-old girl that had to bribed to go to hospital to meet her new sister?  And now their best friends? Amazing what life does for you given time, patience, and love.

   And here's Ashley, Dana's oldest daughter... I don't know if she got bribed to go to the hospital to meet her sister... I do know she is a kick-ass hockey player, and a smart little college at a private girls college... watch out world...  

This is Ed and his sister whose name totally slips me... but I had to include the picture because, don't you think she looks like a much younger version of the spunky and cute woman on the History Detectives on Channel 2? And then there's the Mother of the Bride, my cousin Patty looking fabulous despite not having sleep for a week. As the oldest girl in our family she got an overdose of adrenaline, organizational skills, and has always taken care of the details. Whew! we should all be like her...

     Stay tuned.... I have a few more cousins to get married off.... educated, travelers, smart, funny, adventure, kind, thoughtful, bright...  here they are ~ Rachelle ~ Pamela Jean ~ Cory

The night also included Rachel ~ the new family Super Model ~ helping along a display of outboard motors.... she could replace Vanna White in a heartbeat. How cute is that? 




Love you guys and Miss you, write to me -- See you soon!