Dear Calvin and Vicki,
I’ve come full circle with my stories as your wedding day, June 26, 2011, marks the one-year anniversary of the day I began this blog.
I think the week leading up to your wedding encapsulates life so well that a backward glance at several stand out moments offers me an opportunity to share my perspective on commitment and marriage.
Monday “Snoopy” Our sweet puppy dog has cancer.
Expect the unexpected. Marriage is about weathering storms together. When life brings bad news, give each other permission to adjust to it in their own way. Be each others' rock, shelter, shoulder to cry on, comforter, advocate. Hold each other. Help each other. Be there for each other.
Tuesday “Taking the Red-eye” Some nights are not meant for getting enough sleep.
Sleepless nights. They happen to everyone due to sickness, worry, anxiety, emotions, work, babies, teenagers. The frequency of these nights seems to escalate once you have children. Strive to stay healthy—physically, emotionally, and mentally. Do it for yourself first, then your mate. Marriage is about diplomacy and resolution. Try not to let the sun set on an argument. Talk to each other when something is bothering you. Honest communication without judgment is key for a long and happy marriage.
Wednesday “Homecoming” Calvin and Corey both arrived home today.
Marriage is about becoming a family. Starting new traditions. Marriage is about balance, consideration, respect and kindness. You are two unique people who have chosen to spend the rest of your lives together. Accept that you will think, feel, believe and behave differently from each other. Rejoice in the differences. Count your blessings. Stay close to your parents and siblings—they are your roots. Love your children unconditionally—they are your branches.
Thursday “Spicy Wings” Calvin and Corey order fifty wings with too much kick in the wing sauce at BWW. They manage to eat most of them.
Marriage is about romance and spark. Life gets routine, predictable. Sometimes you have to work at having and being fun. A successful marriage is not always up to the other person. Do things together but develop separate interests too—then you’ll always have something to talk about!
Friday “Bachelor Party” Henry, thankfully, volunteered to drive the bus. Enough said.
On a day when most responsible acts went out the window, it’s worth remembering that marriage is about responsibility and commitment. Take ownership of your actions; never make something out to be the other person’s fault when it’s really yours. Marriage is about forgiveness and giving grace to your spouse daily. Apologize when you’re wrong. Learn to let go.
Saturday “The Wrong Direction” After leaving the wedding rehearsal early, Henry and I head west on I-70 instead of east, all the way to Hagerstown before realizing our mistake. We, the hosts, are the last to arrive at the rehearsal dinner.
You’ll make plans. You’ll have ideas about your future. You’ll predict life’s path. And then it all turns out differently. Marriage is about flexibility. I’ve learned to appreciate the saying “Know how to make God laugh? Tell him your plans!” because it is so true. Uncle Kenny also has a favorite: “It’s not a problem. It’s an adventure.” So make plans, but embrace your adventures.
Sunday “Wedding Day” What a beautiful, perfect, fun day!
Marriage is about love and today we celebrated love! I’m so happy for you both and very proud of my son and new daughter-in-law. I think you are both well prepared to fly far.
Love,
Mom
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Mother's Day, Seattle Style
A flight from the West Coast on the red-eye is brutal, especially if you head for work after landing. But it is completely worth it when you are getting back from a wonderful Mother's Day gift trip spent with your son and his fiancée; that vacation high keeps you going through the next day!
I went expecting cool weather, cloudy skies and drizzle. After all, it’s Seattle! What I got was blue skies and sun and days warm enough for short sleeves. The weather couldn’t have been better for late May. Calvin met me at the airport and our first stop was Pike’s Place Market for clam chowder and Beecher’s macaroni and cheese. We bought scallops and shrimp and fresh English peas for dinner. We made a dessert stop at Confectional for cheesecake and then headed home.
It’s not too amazing that I came home from this trip without gaining a pound, because I walked off every bite I ate! Touring around Seattle means walking—up hill both ways. Plus Calvin and I spent a lovely day Friday walking and taking pictures at the Seattle Arboretum and Japanese Gardens, the Bellevue Botanical Gardens and Lake Sammamish Park. The stop in Bellevue included a side trip to Trophy Cupcake—where I tried Vicki’s favorite—the salted caramel. The day was beautiful and it was a great way to visit with each other.
Since we were at a halfway point between Calvin and Vicki’s birthdays, we celebrated with dinner at the Pink Door Friday night—an Italian place with no advertising or sign—just a pink door in the middle of a brick wall on Post Alley. The food was very good—the gelato alone was certainly worth the visit.
Saturday we headed downtown to the Seattle Art Museum and then Lunchbox Laboratory for a the kind of cheeseburger that is too big to bite, but once you do, the juices from Kobe beef, six slices of bacon, cheese and extras run down your fingers and you can’t even think about putting it down. Thin crispy fries and an incredible chocolate shake served in a beaker put this burger joint at the top of my list of favorites.
Saturday was a gorgeous day, sunny and clear, but breezy and cool. We even saw Mt. Rainier driving into Seattle and according to Calvin, any day you see Rainier is a good day. We thought about patio dining for lunch but opted to eat in. Not those Seattleites—the patio was crowded by the time we left. Suffice it to say that sixty-five degrees is their version of eighty-five on the East Coast. No vacation is complete without seeing a movie, so we took in Pirates of the Caribbean on Saturday night followed by a stop Red Mango.
Sunday we crossed the Cascades to visit Leavenworth, a small Bavarian style village set in some pretty nice wine country. A couple winery stops complete with tastings were the highlight of this day although it was pretty neat to cross cold, snow-capped mountains to the pleasant seventy-five degrees that waited for us in the valley. Perfect sit-in-the-sun and sip your wine weather.
On Memorial Day we had no plans but to stay home and play games and have a cook out. I got to play Kinect, Power Grid, and Guillotine. We went for a walk before enjoying our cook out of burgers and pineapple on the grill with Vicki’s pasta salad. We laughed a lot and ate a lot—it was the perfect end to my Mother’s Day gift.
Calvin asked me to name my favorite part of the trip. The answer was easy—“just spending time with you”. Although we had fun going places and I’ll remember this trip fondly, it’s the time spent together that comes home in the heart and that is the gift I will always treasure.
I went expecting cool weather, cloudy skies and drizzle. After all, it’s Seattle! What I got was blue skies and sun and days warm enough for short sleeves. The weather couldn’t have been better for late May. Calvin met me at the airport and our first stop was Pike’s Place Market for clam chowder and Beecher’s macaroni and cheese. We bought scallops and shrimp and fresh English peas for dinner. We made a dessert stop at Confectional for cheesecake and then headed home.
It’s not too amazing that I came home from this trip without gaining a pound, because I walked off every bite I ate! Touring around Seattle means walking—up hill both ways. Plus Calvin and I spent a lovely day Friday walking and taking pictures at the Seattle Arboretum and Japanese Gardens, the Bellevue Botanical Gardens and Lake Sammamish Park. The stop in Bellevue included a side trip to Trophy Cupcake—where I tried Vicki’s favorite—the salted caramel. The day was beautiful and it was a great way to visit with each other.
Since we were at a halfway point between Calvin and Vicki’s birthdays, we celebrated with dinner at the Pink Door Friday night—an Italian place with no advertising or sign—just a pink door in the middle of a brick wall on Post Alley. The food was very good—the gelato alone was certainly worth the visit.
Saturday we headed downtown to the Seattle Art Museum and then Lunchbox Laboratory for a the kind of cheeseburger that is too big to bite, but once you do, the juices from Kobe beef, six slices of bacon, cheese and extras run down your fingers and you can’t even think about putting it down. Thin crispy fries and an incredible chocolate shake served in a beaker put this burger joint at the top of my list of favorites.
Saturday was a gorgeous day, sunny and clear, but breezy and cool. We even saw Mt. Rainier driving into Seattle and according to Calvin, any day you see Rainier is a good day. We thought about patio dining for lunch but opted to eat in. Not those Seattleites—the patio was crowded by the time we left. Suffice it to say that sixty-five degrees is their version of eighty-five on the East Coast. No vacation is complete without seeing a movie, so we took in Pirates of the Caribbean on Saturday night followed by a stop Red Mango.
Sunday we crossed the Cascades to visit Leavenworth, a small Bavarian style village set in some pretty nice wine country. A couple winery stops complete with tastings were the highlight of this day although it was pretty neat to cross cold, snow-capped mountains to the pleasant seventy-five degrees that waited for us in the valley. Perfect sit-in-the-sun and sip your wine weather.
On Memorial Day we had no plans but to stay home and play games and have a cook out. I got to play Kinect, Power Grid, and Guillotine. We went for a walk before enjoying our cook out of burgers and pineapple on the grill with Vicki’s pasta salad. We laughed a lot and ate a lot—it was the perfect end to my Mother’s Day gift.
Calvin asked me to name my favorite part of the trip. The answer was easy—“just spending time with you”. Although we had fun going places and I’ll remember this trip fondly, it’s the time spent together that comes home in the heart and that is the gift I will always treasure.
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