What A Week

Things have been a little crazy around here.

To make it brief (because I'm tired and therefore selfish) so far I have gotten absolutely sunburned.

Cheered on Brother's baseball team in the playoffs

Made enough cookies to feed said baseball team

Began redesigning my blog (clearly I'm only partially done)

Gotten so angry at an umpire, I briefly considered the pros & cons of fist fighting in a dress

Cheered for the boys in their Championship game (it was a heartbreaker, folks.)

Saw one of my close friends for what will be the last time for several years (unless he gets stationed somewhere in New England before I graduate from college?) 

Attended a cookout wedding

Wrangled more than half a dozen children under the age of eight for an entire day of camp

Nearly finished reading "Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone" for the 1,000 time

(And nearly wept for my childhood when I read an offhand line about a "VCR" which I didn't blink at as a 10 year old, whereas Boyfriend's 10 year old sister doesn't remember them)

And of course there was the incident where I chased my dogs through the neighborhood . . . barefoot.

In boxers.

For a 1/4 mile

With glass in my foot.

One final thing I just have to mention, before I try to sleep: one of the boy's from Brother's team had to be escorted off the field and to the hospital today, in quite a lot of pain, frighteningly pale, and seeming dizzy/somewhat disoriented.  He's a very good kid, and any prayers you could offer or good energy you could send his way would be much appreciated.  

Please enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I'll be back with details soon!

Weekly Gratitude 7/9

Hell (my little corner of the blogging) world!  I know Weekly Gratitude is usually on Fridays, but I've had a busy week!  So I apologize for my tardiness - better late than never, no?  So without any further ado, here are somethings I've been blessed with this week:

*Childhood friends.  I know my friends are often mentioned on these lists, but this week I am grateful for that handful of beautiful individuals who have literally been with me my entire life.  We don't talk as often as we should, and we see each other less.  But when we do speak, we understand each other.  And when we do see each other, we truly see each other, for the people we were (even as babies!) and the people we've become, and the people we've always wanted to be.

*Warm days!  Woohoo with the nice weather!

*Thank you for such an awesome boss.  We're really working together to make our summer schedule a success and bring healthy habits, fun, and new chances to our kiddos.

*I'm so grateful for the chance to be part of such an amazing, beautiful, and love filled wedding.  To the Artist & the Marine:  all the love I have and all the blessings I can ask for are sent with you into your new life.

*Thank you for a Boyfriend who remembered which girlie movies I just had to see, even when I forgot.

*I'm grateful for a day in the pool and the sun with some of my favorite boys, and a night of fireworks to follow it up.

*Fireworks!  Beautiful wonderful fireworks, all week long.

*Speaking of fireworks, thank you for my blessing of being born in this country.  Yes, it is flawed and young and headstrong, like the international teenager it is.  But America is also free and strong and rich.  Blessed beyond measure and protected by some of the world's finest troops. 

*Thank you for the birth of this nation, which we celebrated this week.

*Thank you for another nation joining the ranks of freedom: congratulations to the people of South Sudan!  And happy birthday to the world's newest country: We're very excited to meet you.

*Thank you for the chance to see one of those fine troops again: one of Boyfriend's best friends (and in many ways, his big brother) is home for a visit until he and his are shipped across country to their new base.

And with that I say goodnight moon, goodnight stars, and goodnight fellow bloggers. 

The Wedding (Part 2)

After the group photo (such a sweet idea, no?) the whole wedding party scooted away for more pictures, and we all began to mill about while the trollies rolled up to whisk us away.  After a few minutes, the bride and groom again appeared, this time on the balcony for more pictures - much like Prince William and Princess Katherine of Great Britain.  We oohhhed and aaaahhhhed some more: cameras flashed, the newlyweds kissed, the sun shone, and I felt an amazing swell of peace in my heart.  Because I have known this particular princess my whole life.  And I have never known her happier than she is in the arms of her Marine.  As he dipped her in front of the cameras, she laughed and from two stories away we could all here her joy.

Back to the "carriage house" we went for the ceremony, where Mum was already busily smoothing things along (she was on the first trip down: I was on the last, typical).  The fiddlers played, and the candy was devoured: the guest book was signed, the bar was opened, and Mum and I went around lighting the candles/tea lights that dotted everyone's candles.  It was nice to hear everyone's comments on the ceremony: everyone seemed to find it as enchanting as I had!  The new couple was introduced, and shared their first dance, a moment as perfect as you can imagine.  He sang to her as they swayed.  She smiled and leaned into his chest.  I silently thanked God for their slice of joy, and prayed that it goes with them always. . .

Toasts - spoken tributes to her artistic spirit.  To his service in Iraq.  To all of our delight that they have each other.

Dinner was served: garden salad, pasta, the most tender and delicious fish.  Delicious potatoes, and sweet chicken with peppers.  Steak, and bread with cinnamon butter.  Heavenly.

They cut the cake with his sword (is that against the rules?  Should I not post it?  Oh dear. I'm sure it's fine, after all there are going to be all sorts of damning pictures.) and rather than mash it in each other's faces, she smeared his cheek with frosting, and he dolloped some on her nose.  He caved first, though, and hastily cleaned it off before stealing a kiss (I'm quite sure they forgot all about us for just a little while).  And who wouldn't want to save every bit of that cake?  Buttercream frosting, vanilla & chocolate cake, and fillings that included strawberries 'n'cream and chocolate-mint.  Cake not your thing?  Never fear!  There was strawberry shortcake and fresh whipped cream too.

Then it was time to dance.  The first person I was able to coax onto the floor was not Boyfriend.  He's not a fan of dancing, and absolutely not a fan of dancing in public.  But I digress: my first dance of the evening was of course with James.  And Sissy, and Brother both joined.  Then Boyfriend was suddenly on the floor too, and so was one of my other childhood friends.  In some combination, we all danced all night: silly, sprinkler style dancing.  Step-clap-step-clap dancing.  Laughing and spinning and holding hands like children dancing.  At one point, Boyfriend lifted me over his head, to my delight.  At another, Brother took on the bestman (also a Marine and veteran of Iraq.  From the bottom of my heart I thank these men for their service. . . but that is another post).  Mum said the moment that made her cry was seeing us all there: me, and Sissy and Brother and Boyfriend, the bride and her brother and his best friend.  Aside from Boyfriend, we had all grown up together, and under her watchful eye (at the daycare she used to run, which is how we all met).  First dance classes.  Paper dolls.  Pretending to be Power Rangers. Marching in parades. Cheering at football games, attending art showings, running races uphill at night, with glowsticks to guide us.  And now we stood in a circle, decked in our finest, celebrating our big sister.  In many ways, the first of my mother's babies to leave the nest, though none of her own children was getting married that day.

I will never forget hugging them both: kissing Shauna on the cheek and squeezing Jake's hand, before they descended the stairs and set off.  Into forever and a day - together.

My prayer for them is simple:

May you always look at one another with the same joy you did this weekend.
May God continue to bless you.
May you always be each other's joy & shelter, best friend & confidant.
May your love stay steady and bright
And your friends faithful and true.

The Wedding (Part 1)

I wish I had the words to describe to you how beautiful the wedding was.  I wish I could convey to you how perfect the ceremony, the reception, the food, the music, the dancing, the laughter, the couple, the love was.  I was so sad and frustrated that I don't have a camera, to snap shots of the whole amazing day (bad blogger!  bad blogger!  bad!).  I was so grateful to share in the bride & groom's special day.  So inspired to witness a union I fully believe will last forever and a day.  So giddy to dance with my Boyfriend (he's not a dancer.  This was such a huge step in our relationship, silly as it sounds!) and my brother and my childhood friends all night.  Here, let me start at the beginning of the day. . .


After an argument with the GPS, we finally arrived at Castle In the Clouds (Yes, thats really what it's called.  Yes, it really is as beautiful as it sounds).  We headed to the reception venue in the early afternoon, hours ahead of even the earliest wedding guest as Mum was helping coordinate the wedding, and I had been asked to help with decorating & sundry preparations.  The bride's mother, who I have known my entire life, was at the top of the stairs, beaming and frazzled and sweet, while the bride's brother, James, and his best friend, roamed the hall arranging centerpieces.  Boyfriend and Brother joined them, while I helped the mother of the bride, and set out candy dishes (they had a candy bar, joy!).  After much prepping and oohhhinnng/aaaahhhhiiinnng over the bride (and several games of round robin, as we tried to get Shauna into her dress, do her solo/bridesmaids pics, and back into the room without her groom seeing her) it was time to polish ourselves up (I arrived in most unglamorous flip flops, tank top/jean short combo and a bright blue scrunchie) and get ready to board.

Board what, you ask?  Oh, well since this castle is on a mountain, the guests were all ferried up to the top in trollies.  Romantic times a thousand, I assure you.

We then traveled the flowery path around the magnificent building, out onto the lawn/balcony area where the service was to be conducted.  I gave the nervous groom my biggest smile as I went by, and proceeded to admire the view of the ginormous lake and rugged mountains provided when one looked over the balcony.  Boyfriend had this silly notion that I would fall down and roll to the bottom of the mountain. . . he seems to think I'm clumsy or some such utter truth nonsense.  Did I mention the rose bushes?  Or the fiddlers who serenaded us?  Eventually the ceremony began, and the bridal party/groomsmen made their way down the aisle to music written by James (He's one of the most incredibly talented people I've ever met).  Then it was the moment: the bride appeared.  The music changed, and now James played the song he had written just for this moment, just for his sister on her wedding day.  To call her a "vision in white" would be the silliest and most cliche understatement of the century.  Her dress was vintage, lace & rhinestones, with a slight, pooling train.  Strapless, it elegantly hugged her curves, extending her lines.  She wore a custom fascinator in lieu of a veil, and a single strand of pearls.  There may have been tears that required blinking away.  Her father escorted her down the aisle, and somewhere between very reluctantly and beaming with pride, he gave her away.  Her almost-husband took her tiny (seriously tiny.  the girl is barely more than five ft!) hand in his, and the ceremony began.  The whole thing, from entrance to you may kiss your bride, was over in fifteen minutes.  They had written their own vows, brief and sincere.  Her's rang of poetry and love and faithfulness, with all the flair an artist has.  His were solid and true and heartfelt, quietly passionate and resonantly fervent, like you'd imagine a Marine would be on his wedding day.

More tears that required blinking.  A request for all those in attendance to turn and face the main building, where the photographer stood on a balcony, to have a picture of all of us who had come to celebrate their union for the new bride and groom to keep. . .

Dear 2011, Let's Be Friends.

I am really excited for this year.  No seriously, I am!  I know every year people say the same things "This year is going to be my year."  "I am so excited to turn a new leaf!"  "Hooray for fresh starts!"  But this year really and truly does feel special to me.  There is just so much to look forward to.  So many things I'm excited to do and be part of.   Here is what I'm looking forward to in 2011.

Spring Semester 2011.  I know.  I know.  I really do know.  I am a giant dork - but I can't help being excited about my classes this semester.  I'm in Level 6 for both ballet and modern!  And I'll be taking Pointe Technique and variations.  I'm also supposed to drop in on Jazz 5 while I'm at it!  I'm curious about Dance Composition - everyone I talked to who had the faculty member I'll be learning from loved the class.  And I'm finally in Comparative Religions, a topic that I've always been interested in. . . and Honors Colloquium looks like an absolute ball.  I love the idea of the class, I love everyone I know I'll be taking the class with, and I love the Prof.  Perfect combination!

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, usually called "the Kennedy Festival," or just "Festival."  It's a week long gathering of colleges and theater departments from all across the region.  Months before the actual festival, respondents are sent out to colleges and universities, to watch musicals and comedies, dramas, and tragedies.  The best of them are called to Festival to perform to large crowds and compete for the chance to go to the NATIONAL Festival.   The drama I was part of was held - meaning we're on the list of possible performers, and will be finding out soon if we get to compete!  There are workshops and master classes in every kind of stage craft you can imagine - stage combat, make up, etc.  There are mini-auditions for mini-productions.  There is a lot of laughing.  I am SO excited.

Two weddings.  The first one is this February, when this amazing couple tie the knot.  I know the ceremony will be a complete tear jerker, and I have seen the bride's dress.  It. Is. Stunning.

The bride for the second wedding is my life-long friend.  I've known her since before I can remember - and I am so excited for her mountain-top wedding to her Marine Corps sweetheart.  A sweet summer wedding for one of the sweetest - and toughest - women I've ever met.

Then there is Spring Break.  I have never in my life been outside the country, and this year I get to!  I am flying first class (thanks to some generous and loving relatives!) to Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival!  I'm going to be part of the street parading and celebrating as part of the band (meaning group, not musicians) Tribe.  This is my costume!  And I'll be spending the time with two of my closest girlfriends!

A few days later, I turn 21.  Not such a big deal, since I don't drink. . . but somehow, it still feels like an important, big girl, moment.

Hopefully, I'll be earning my Associate's Degree.  *Crosses Fingers*  I just have to sort out one last class.  One. Last. Class.

Finding out where I am spending the next four years.  Right now I've applied to Fordham University/the Ailey School, Barnard College, and my own current school.  I would be happy at any of the three, although right now Barnard and right-where-I-am are the most likely options.  It's a matter of finding out where I can get in, and what I can afford, and what will be the best option long term - financially, emotionally, etc.

Starting to rehearse with a real, professional company!

Getting more of my work published . . . I think it's about time I treat writing as well as I treat my other passions.

A summer job I'll love, taking care of two of the cutest children on the entire planet.

Hopefully celebrating another anniversary with Boyfriend.

Moving into a new house, with a new start.

What are YOU looking forward to in 2011?