Flower Girl

This past weekend we attended my sister's wedding in Austin, Texas. I was the matron of honor and Kylie and Avery were the flower girls, although Avery ended up sleeping through the ceremony : ) Kylie, however, did very well and was quite dramatic in form as she pranced down the aisle! Before heading out she turned to Philip and said, "Don't come with me, dad!" - - we may be unwanted parents, but at least she doesn't have any self confidence issues!

Here are a few shots from the rehearsal...

The whole lot of us, sans Nick.


Practicing the walk


Listening intently to her flower girl instructions


Posing with the bride-to-be : )


It was a beautiful wedding and we were all so proud to be a part of the beginning of Kathleen and Nick's life together. Below is the toast I read at their reception.

Growing up, Kathleen was my sidekick in all seasons. When I was mischievous she was my partner in crime. When I was feeling pesky she was the unfortunate recipient of my taunting. We spent years playing and fighting and often just co-existing, until one day we suddenly found ourselves as friends. And although, as the younger sister, Kathleen has often followed my lead, she has never been lost in my shadow. Kathleen has always marched to her own drumbeat and shone as a stunning individual.

Now you are embarking on a journey that requires you to synchronize that unique drumbeat with the rhythm of Nick’s life, and vice versa, Nick! This synching is a process, sometimes an awkward one that inevitably ushers in a great deal of change. It means taking turns in life and exercising a steady patience when the need for endurance arises. You are suddenly living life as a team and no longer an individual. It also means always having your best friend at arm’s length. It means knowing and being known, sometimes more accurately than you know yourself. It means making yourself vulnerable to the other when every instinct is telling you to retreat.

Above all, merging lives does not mean losing your own. If you allow it, marriage will be the tool in God’s hand that delicately purges you of selfishness and seclusion. If you allow it, this journey will challenge you, bless you, reveal the meaning of life to you, and ultimately transform each of you into better individuals.

Cheers to Kathleen & Nick!