18 years ago. A lifetime ago. A blink of an eye, really. I am thankful for the nearly 17 years of marriage that Kim and I shared. Today, we will celebrate that. Autumn has decided. "Can we go to Zona 78?", she asked. She enjoyed going through these photos of our wedding day, peppering me with question after question...
"What was your favorite part of your wedding day?"...
..."Kissing your Mama."...
..."Hee, hee, I figured!" She giggled.
"Wait. Is that Uncle Spike?"...
..."Yep."
"Beer cans tied to your truck Dad? Really?"...
..."Yes Aut, that's what people used to do."....
..."Hmmmm. I see...note to self." She's so funny.
What a beautiful day it was that Saturday morning back in '94. It was already 90 degrees at 9 a.m. when our ceremony started. Here is Spike (my college roomie who showed up for Klimb 4 Kimmy 2 along with the Duff man, another roomie, back in Feb.), my Dad, Kim's sister Terri and her best friend, Tracy.
We loved the little courtyard that bordered the south side of the church. The fountain was so relaxing, with humming birds darting back and forth vying for a drink of its cool waters.
This shot (above) of Kim just blows me away...Aut gently dabbed my tears away when I got to this one.
When I approach the church, to pass through these doors, the main entrance, I always see Kimmy standing there that day...
You can see her giggling here...Happiest moment of my life...
With my Best Man...my Dad - the greatest man who ever lived (after Jesus, of course).
Our hand shook as we lit the candles, joining us as one...
Again, the kiss...my favorite part of the day!
Marriage may be the best sacrament one can enjoy. Here we are, joined - 'for better (which was most often the case!)...for worse (she still had some work to do on me!)...til death do we part - only, I thought we'd be old, gray and Kim nursing me...
Again, the most beautiful bride in the world...and me, with perhaps the cheesiest sunglasses in the world. Well, it was the '90s!
The Toy sporting the Tecate beer cans and a 'KILO' 94.9 FM bumper sticker from our Colorado days.
At the reception, a cowboy cookout that Kim designed, with my sister, Lauren.
The last cake I've ever cut (thanks Janene, for your continued support in this area!).
This was a fun moment. Kim got me pretty good.
Second thoughts Kimmy? I'm trying to convince her getting married was a good idea. "Seriously Kimmy, it's not that bad!"
The day was perfect. Kim had spent months planning and orchestrating...from contacting Father Michael Dulmeyer to perform the ceremony, to having Baggins deliver their incredible sandwiches to us at the Mission, the "Unforgettable" and their egg salad, which has real bacon crumpled up in it! Then, a stop at Gates Pass, with it's breathtaking views, to eat lunch and on to Old Tucson Movie Studios for the afternoon.
She had found the Reddington Pass Cattle Ranch somehow. We went to visit it and she knew..."This is the place." she told me. I could feel it. Again, somehow she found the perfect cowboy guitarist to hire and serenade our modest group. A huge bonfire. Singing. Dancing. A night to remember.
Sometimes, I can't believe I ever held her in my arms. Or kissed her. Sometimes, I can't believe that she'd light up the room, just for me, when she saw me enter the room. Sometimes, it's hard to believe that we shared so much...and how fast it really went.
I'm looking forward to visiting the Mission this morning for Mass.
On the home front, the bambini are uneasy. The school year is wrapping up, should be cause for rejoicing. Autumn has been selected to be the speaker at her 6th grade graduation. We worked on her speech this weekend and it is so heartfelt and thoughtful - I can only believe it came directly from Kimmy. Her delivery is wonderful.
But, lingering is a dark cloud - we have several storm fronts that we (or maybe it's me) are facing...and the little ones have been edgy. Four, to be exact. It was Pete Townsend who said 'It's just another tricky day". Kim and I used that one a little too often during her 55 day fight, but, it fits.
We are going to need some prayers to get through and maybe a few small miracles.
You know, I am counting on my Angel to guide us.
