Get Me To The Church On Time

What a weekend! I don't even know where to begin. My mom got remarried this weekend. Yeah, that's a good place to start. Mom married her high school sweetheart in a lovely ceremony in the North Georgia mountains. My new step-dad is a great guy, and he so clearly worships the ground she walks on. I couldn't be happier for her. My brother and sister were, for separate reasons, absent. I was the only person from our immediate family present, though for many reasons, that may have been a blessing. My niece and nephew got to come, which made things better, though.

One highlight was my mom attacking the flower arrangements in the church because there were "holes" in them and the florist was a moron. So there she was, pulling flowers from the back, stems and leaves flying as she re-arrangeded them to her own exacting specifications. I think some of it was just her own nervous energy needing an outlet. I read a poem during the ceremony, which went over ok. I didn't stumble over my words too bad. Jim let me dress him up in a shirt and tie, and he looked totally gorgeous. Mom says we made her really proud, which was my personal goal for the whole thing. I just wanted to make her proud, seeing as the rest of our family is such a trainwreck. My other job was to keep her calm, which was virtually impossible, but I did keep her focused on the next task at hand, which while she wasn't exactly calm, it kept her from freaking out.

The reception was in a swanky country club and we had a served dinner, choice of salmon or filet mignon. His family was very nice, and I had the strange experience of meeting my new step-siblings for the first time. My new brother and sister live in Baltimore and Los Angeles, respectively, and both had wonderful things to say about my mother to me. They both seem genuinely happy for our parents and welcomed my mother into their fold with open arms. It was weirder for me, because I was the only representative of my family. Being the youngest by far, it was an unexpected mantle of authority. I hadn't really thought about it until his son gave a toast, and it occured to me that I probably should do so as well, but was so mentally unprepared for it I just couldn't. I don't know why it never occured to me, other than I wasn't the matron of honor, so those duties were overlooked. The granddaughters were jointly junior bridesmaids, and the reception was just not in my thoughts. Looking back, I don't even know what I would have said without somehow bringing the focus to the fact that out of her three children, I'm the only one who was there. One was absent by choice, the other...well, I'd like to think he would have attended if he could.

Pictures!

Here's mom with me and Jim. I've never seen her so happy in my whole life. I think it's safe to say she hasn't actually ever been this happy during my lifetime.

To know that she will finally know real love and companionship in her marriage makes me so wonderfully happy for her.

They danced around the ice sculpture while we all watched. They were just so adorable. They just oozed "happily ever after". I swear, the whole thing was like a Hallmark tv movie.

Oh, and lest I forget. Today is my birthday. I've gotten a plane ticket to Chicago for later in the week and a new tv as presents, along with a few other odds and ends and sweet cards. My friends and family have been wonderful to think of me. I've decided that what I want most of all is for those I care about to have at least a moment of silly fun. So I submit the following music video: Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe. Turn it up and rock the Running Man, the Roger Rabbit, and the Cabbage Patch for me.