Congratulations Bill and Lexi...

This weekend brought about an event that has been destined for many years now~the wedding of Jason's brother Bill and his lovely lady, Lexi.  The festivities began on Friday with a delicious and fun rehearsal dinner at a pizza joint in Sioux Falls at which I had never frequented but will definitely put in the dining out rotation.  The food was awesome but the company was even better and the weekend was off to a fabulous start.

The photos began and I don't think the flashes stopped going off until the wee hours of Sunday morning.  Here is the gorgeous couple with their parents...

And one of the groom with his proud parents...

The much anticipated day arrived and it was nothing but blue skies which was a pleasant surprise considering the weatherman had assured us rain was going to be the order of the day. 

Vows were exchanged, blessings were bestowed and then Mr. and Mrs. William Kolb were officially introduced...

 

A whole new family was begun before our very eyes and sealed with a kiss. Of course, the occasion needed to be commemorated with more photos  (to see these photos and even more, you can click the following link Bill and Lexi's wedding photos)...

And then it was time to party...

The dance floor at the KC hall will never be the same after meeting the Kolbs!  The entire event was fantastic and we were honored to be witnesses to it.  The food was easily in my top three best wedding meals I've ever had the pleasure of consuming, the bride was definitely among the most exquisite brides I've ever seen and the family is hands down one of the most wonderful I've ever been blessed to be a part of. 

To Bill and Lexi~ Father Lawrence commented during his sermon that while this is a beautiful day in your lives, it will not be the most beautiful day of your marriage.  How right I know he is.  I wish for you a lifetime of beautiful days.  Congratulations!

Live Without Regret...

While living in our old house, we cultivated a lovely relationship with our elderly neighbors, Bob and Mary.  Moving just a few blocks away allowed us to continue our relationship easily and we would stop by to visit Bob and Mary periodically.  Just last week we went by the old neighborhood and the girls commented that it had been a while since we've visited and that we should stop and see our old friends.  I responded that we would make some cookies and drop by sometime this week.

Unfortunately, we received some sad news yesterday.  Mary passed away on Monday.  My immediate thought was that we were supposed to visit her this week.  Why didn't I make the time last week?  Or the week before?  My best intentions had taken from us one last visit.  One last opportunity to chat with this lovely woman who so enjoyed the girls and their conversations.  Just another example of taking tomorrow for granted.

Bob called this morning to make sure we had heard the news.  Expressing my condolences and listening to him talk about Mary was all I could do.  I explained my plans for a visit this week and his response was, "Oh, she sure would have liked that."  I know she would have and that will be one more regret to add to my list.  While I can't go back and make that last visit to Mary with a plate of freshly baked cookies, I can go forward and take this lesson with me.  An abstract concept became very real for me today and even though I can't remove that one last regret, I can make it just that~my one last regret.  Today is all I have.  Today is all any of us have.  Make it count.

A simple equation...

Hearts are broken, bit by bit, every day.

Disappointment, anger, sadness, bitterness and regret are inevitable.

Fortunately, joy, love, acceptance, selflessness and generosity are equally inevitable.  And it's these wonderful gifts that heal the breaks and fill your heart back up.

In the end, it's just basic math. Add more than you subtract.

Lily, Ms. Star of the Week...

Lily Jane was declared her preschool's Star of the Week and I kind of thought, "Duh!" Just look at her...

If that's not star quality, I don't know what is.

I took her to McDonald's for lunch today~partly to celebrate her stardom but mostly because she was so very clever when she suggested it. It went a little something like this:

Me: "Lily, I think we will have grilled cheese sandwiches and vegetable soup for lunch today."

Lily: "Maybe we should just go to McDonald's. Then you wouldn't have to make anything for lunch and you could have your favorite cheeseburger."

Me: "Well, I probably wouldn't have a cheeseburger."

Lily: "Well, then I could have my favorite cheeseburger."

How could I argue with that sort of logic? Her pure, unadulterated joy (and that is not an exaggeration, she was seriously stoked) totally makes up for the slight nausea that I am feeling right now. In Lily's world, McDonald's=Love.

Following lunch and quick run through the virus filled abyss that is the McDonald's playland, we headed to school so that I could read Lily's class her favorite story, "Dinosaurs Love Underpants". Of course, that would be her favorite book and I felt like a total fool reading it to nine four year olds but she loves the book and I love her so that's just the way it goes. She sat beside me giggling through all 24 pages.

Between her wonderful observations on everything she says, always conveyed with that slight little lisp that sounds so sweet, her beautiful heart, her quick sense of humor and her awe-filled take on life in general, Lily is nothing short of a wonder. She makes my days brighter, my thoughts happier and my world completely complete. I love her even more than dinosaurs love underpants (and if you haven't had the opportunity to read the book yet, I think I can safely tell you without ruining the ending, dinosaurs REALLY love underpants).

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

Life has been busy lately. We've been busy wrapping up the Fall soccer season with a bang. In her 2nd to last game, Lily scored three goals (or four if you ask her)...

I can't wait to see how she tops that on Saturday in her final game. It's really cute to see how the four year olds have progressed over the past 8 weeks and have a much tighter grasp on the basics of the game than they did their first week.

Ella, aka Pele, was nominated by her coach for the "Outstanding U8 Player Program". Players were nominated based on their technical skills as well as their participation and attendance in practices and games and also based on their determination and attitude. All personal bias aside, I can honestly say Ella most definitely earned this accolade. As I've mentioned numerous times before, Ella is one of the most intensely focused little people I've ever encountered. She puts her heart and soul into all she does and I'm so proud that she was recognized for that. The players who were selected for this program participated in a clinic put on by the Augie soccer team and received a very official certificate of achievement. She loved the clinic, had so much fun playing with the Augie girls, learned a little something and relished the pat on the back she so richly deserved. Check her out on the left off all by herself in the white shirt. Always wants to stand apart from the group... The day following the clinic, Ella played her final game of the season and she sure lived up to the award that had just been bestowed upon her. She was on fire out on the field. Once again, I watched in awe of her determination and grit. No matter the score, no matter the circumstances, Ella just won't give up. Running as hard as she possibly could, fighting for every ball and giving it her all. She scored all three of her team's goals and while they did not walk away with the win, it certainly wasn't for lack of effort... Grace wrapped up her soccer season as well and moved right from field to the court~the volleyball court. While she enjoyed soccer, she LOVES volleyball. Never before have I seen her so animated and excited about something. I have a feeling she may be hanging her shin guards and soccer cleats up for good in exchange for knee pads and a good old pair of tennis shoes. It's obvious in her demeanor that volleyball is definitely her game and we are so excited to watch her progress... On top of the sports madness that encompassed Saturday, there was one final event to cap off the day. This beautiful lady... will be joining the Kolb crew in two shorts weeks when she marries Jason's brother, Bill. Of course we wanted to welcome her to the family and threw an all dessert shower for her. Ice cream, gifts and good conversation~a successful evening was had by all. An early congratulations to Bill and Lexi~we wish you many years of love and happiness.

And finally, I must take this opportunity to wish my mom and dad a happy 38th anniversary. Your life together has shaped my beliefs and expectations of what a marriage should be like~

Cooperation... Support...
Humor...
Compromise... Sacrifice...

And of course, love...

No matter the issue, the only option is to go through it together. While my memory isn't great and I may not be able to speak to specific situations or moments, I do know that when I think of the two of you together, my immediate feelings are that of happiness and love. Thinking back through my childhood to present day, laughter is the resounding theme and for that, I thank you. Thank you for choosing each other 38 years ago and for standing by that choice through all of the ups and downs. You both, individually and together, mean more to me than words can possibly express.

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."~Mignon McLaughlin