... then comes marriage

are you still there? have you been waiting long? can you forgive me for being slow and absent and neglectful? do you want to see a bunch of pictures of ck's wedding?

it was a gorgeous, wonderful, sunny, happy wedding. just like i knew it would be. it was also a chaotic, exhausting, full-of-hilarious-mishaps wedding. just like i knew it would be.

carl and ck were not on time for anything, except for the ceremony. a brother-in-law and several flower girls went missing in the morning and couldn't be reached because said brother-in-law has a swiss cell phone that no one could get through to because none of the phones in the house were working. i spent two days before the wedding delivering gift bags to out-of-town guests, showing up at a series of random houses as well as hotels where said out-of-town guests were not actually staying. none of the tuxedos for the little nephews fit, so everyone traded up to the next oldest nephew and then the littlest baby got wrapped up in the biggest jacket for the pictures.

and the pictures. oh man. with six siblings on one side, three on the other, plus spouses, parents, nieces, nephews, 14 bridesmaids and some groomsmen as well, and with everyone running late from the temple to the luncheon and from the luncheon to the reception, pictures were a mad and mostly dysfunctional dash and i am pretty sure there is a small child crying, frowning or sticking out his or her tongue in just about every one.

but it was a day so full of joy and celebration that none of that seemed to matter even one little bit. carl and ck both cried like babies at the altar as they were being sealed. i have seen lots of friends get married over the years, but i am not sure i have seen friends as in love and happy to be with each other as these two are. and, honestly, i could not be happier for them. i have known both carl and ck for a long time now, and i think that each of them is one of the best people there is. and the best deserve the best. and that is what they both got. i think it speaks volumes about carl and ck and the kind, loyal, giving way they live their lives that literally hundreds of people were willing to come from all around the country and the world to celebrate with them on such a happy day. i am certainly glad i was there to share it.

and now, millions of pictures!























we ate gelato and crepes and fought over the tossed bouquet and danced the night away and furiously packed ck's honeymoon suitcase, and then the lovebirds were off. (had carl known how much ck was going to pack, perhaps he would have rented a larger car.) and then, though i think we all hated to see the day end, we dragged ourselves away. i, at least, left a little happier than i had been when the day started, with a little more faith in love.