all about bob…well claire

almost 10 years ago I met one of my best friends at queens university.  it was a nutrition class and we had to work on a group project together.  after that project study groups formed and a tremendous friendship started.  we have been through some ups and downs together with each of us.  she was a part of my wedding and I helped her though a rough relationship.  we have talked about family issues and have been there through losses.  we have each others back.  after her failed relationship we would go to dinner and I would ask her about dating.  she would say nope and I am never getting married.  one day things changed.  she came to dinner and talked about bob.  the more and more we talked on the phone or went to dinner the more and more she talked about bob.  she talked about meeting his family and him meeting hers and she was happy.  I was honored to be apart of her wedding to bob 3-15-14.

first we had a bachelorette party at folly beach/Charleston.  it was the first time I got to meet the other bridesmaids.  it was a blast even if it did rain most of the weekend.

I was able to take a few days off the week of the wedding.  on the Thursday before the wedding andy and I went to the farm and helped get some decorating done and hung out with bob and Claire.  on Friday we went to the rehearsal and to dinner and I spent the night with Claire and helped her do her flowers.  we were up until 330 in the morning but we laughed until we cried and snorted.  the day of the wedding we got up and got out hair done and went back to her place and to the farm to finish up the flowers and then it was game time.  she was the most beautiful bride and I couldn’t have been happier for her and bob and they both seemed so happy.  the wedding ceremony was beautiful and the reception was wonderful.  the food was delicious.  it was the perfect march day to have a wedding.

for her wedding gift I made her and bob a quilt and used her wedding colors in it.

congrats to my bff Claire and her new husband bob on a beautiful wedding and a wonderful start to a brand new adventure.  I love you both!

darkness and little bits of light

we don’t live out in the middle of no where and there are a few houses right around us (one across the street directly, and one diagonally from us) but at night it gets pretty dark.  when all of the meteor showers were going on we could turn the porch light off and be able to see them shooting through the sky.  one night this summer i got home after dark and realized that i didn’t turn the porch light on.  as i was walking to the door in the pitch black i glanced across the street and saw these green dots of lights flickering.  i paused thinking that maybe someone was in the field with flash lights.  as i tried to focus my eyes i realized they were lightning bugs – thousands of them.  i had never seen so many at one time in one place.  it was mesmerizing.  i hurried in and got the dog out of his crate and took him on the porch with the light still out and stared at them flicker on and off.  it was so beautiful and surprisingly breath-taking and reminded me that even in our darkest times there are still little hints or flickers of light and hope.  it reminded me of when i was a child and would play in the yard with will and vicky catching them.  and the times that i was cruel and would kill them.  i was reminded of how awesome God’s presence is and how lucky i was to be able to witness so many “sparkles” in the pitch black.

a few days later my parents came to visit and dad didn’t come in the house and he didn’t come in the house and when he finally did he was like oh my gosh did you see the lightning bugs across the street?  I was like yes, yes I did!

i hesitate to admit that i was grabbed my camera to take a video of how awesome it was…because i know that you are sitting there thinking “that is fantastic – bugs…but who really cares” but my camera wouldn’t get anything except the darkness and i knew if i posted a video of just seconds of black you really would think i was crazy or that it wasn’t cool.  so for now you will have to trust me that it was completely awesome.