1. He was the overnight computer lab manager and would put a sign on his face that said,"wake if having issues, if not, let me sleep."
2. He was in my 8am French class, and seemed like a nice guy when I saw him in the foreign language lab and asked for help once Freshmen year. Note it was not overnight and I did not have to wake him.
3. He already knew several of my sorority sisters and had taken one to the Spring formal Freshmen year when I went out with him for my Sophomore year sorority pledge bash.
What I didn't know was that over the course of just a few months after we had our first date, that he would take me to meet his grandmother, Mozelle Evans. Mrs. Evans was in the hospital the first time I met her. On the same day I also met his grandfather, Roy, and his mom. His grandmother would later say she thought I must be from a good family to come and see her in the hospital. I remember thinking anyone who would take me to meet their grandmother within a month of dating must HAVE a good family.
Over the past 19 years of knowing his family I can say that they are kind and welcoming. Mozelle and Roy were salt of the Earth folk that knew the importance of family. Such was theme over the weekend when Bill's younger brother James married Katie. I knew that I would like Katie when I met her at our annual summer trip to Florida and she offered to take Ben and Ian (along with James) to a water park. After making sure she did indeed understand that Ian liked to wander and Ben was fearless, she still consented to taking the boys and returned with both un-phased but also very tired.
Ben and Ian love her. My mother in law loves her and most importantly James loves her. At Bill's toast at the reception he remarked that they bring out the best in each other, which is what I remember best about Bill's grandparents. They complemented each other like no other couple I ever met. Much more than either my sets of grandparents. I often thought of them as my own grandparents in the ways they welcomed me into their family.
Everyone wore matching Superhero themed Chuck Taylors
I am sad that neither lived to see their youngest grandchild marry in a beautiful sunset ceremony under a blanket of fall color marry. Am I glad that the bride and groom nixed a decision to have the boys walk their 90 lb dog down the aisle with the rings on an attached pillow, uh yes. Do I wish that Ian hadn't started jumping up an down showing his Spiderman underwear during the ceremony? Uh, yes again. How about when he ran towards me crying when he lost the quarter he was suppose to stand on during the ceremony prompting me to exit stage left with him sobbing as not drown out the recessional music? Why yes, I think you can pick up on the theme of the night of mom in full-on damage control mode as not to ruin a wedding.
Do I wish that of all days of not napping that being utterly crazy at the reception resulted in me taking Ian back to the hotel early, missing out on a large part of the party? Of course. I can say Ben was at an all time high of mature, helpful behavior. I whispered into Ben's ear that if I were his girlfriend Mary, of shoes being thrown over the fence fame, I would marry him as he looked so handsome. He blushed and I smiled.
While I didn't take any pictures I hope that the family shots will reveal how cute the boys looked, and one that the photographer got his his pants falling off on the dance floor. No one would have laughed harder than Bill's grandparents.
A wedding is but a day; a marriage is a lifetime. Happiest of marriages to James and Katie. I wish you a lifetime of happiness.
No comments:
Post a Comment