K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Got to take care of Mr. Peepers and the other bird while BET & M were away the last several days. BET provided instruction to not have any ceiling fans on while the bird house door is open. Very good advice for a house sitter! Don't think the two knew what to think of my cell phone trying to snap their pic. They were very leery. They sure hopped around in that clean water, though.

Good news! BET is now Mrs. BET and the M is Mr. M. It is very exciting. They were away last week on their honeymoon -- Las Vegas and a cabin somewhere in Utah. While hiking, though, BET broke a bone in her ankle/lower leg. (hehe...I said bone while talking about newlyweds...hehe) The couple arrived home last night. Despite the injury, they report they had a good time.

This couple started on this path about 16 years ago. I met them while they were students at the Kansas City Art Institute. I wasn't a student there, but The Artist was their classmate. It's also important to note that BET and I share our birthdate, with one of us being older and wiser.

What makes the wedding so exciting is that there's no real reason they needed to do it. Their love and commitment are very evident to all. They are an awesome couple and are a strong team. They add much to each other and balance each other. They challenge each other to become better people. They are committed and have a strong relationship. Well, I guess those are the reasons why they decided to get married. That's really cool.

Can't say the wedding day happened without incident. For instance: The step dad fell in the hotel room and broke his arm, which meant an ER visit just hours before the ceremony. There was a cat fight among the maid of honor, the opera singer and BET's dear friend Lisa just about an hour before the ceremony. The parents got lost and were stressed after the ER visit, arriving to the church about 20 minutes after the ceremony was supposed to start. I escorted the mothers down the aisle out of order. The priest couldn't find the communion cup, so he decided to just provide some extra blessings. Those are the highlights. My "finale" speech went well, though.

All that to say the wedding and the dinner reception were wonderful. Both venues were beautiful. The heart-felt joy by the 60 or so attendees was so very clear. It felt like everyone was there because they wanted to be. Not out of obligation. It was a fantastic celebration of love and commitment. Lots of tears of happiness, lots of friends and family very proud of the bride and groom, lots of fun times and laughter, lots of hugs, lots of folks honored to share in the ceremony. I wouldn't have traded any of the moments.

In addition to the actual wedding events, I shared some good times with BET's family on Thursday and Friday. A week later and I can honestly say I miss them. They were entertaining and I felt like they really liked me. It was fun. We had a great "rehearsal dinner" on Friday. Ribs, margaritas, apple pies ... Mmmm Mmmm! And in between the wedding and the dinner we relaxed in Crown Center. Very nice. At the wedding dinner, I sat with Jay, another art school friend, who I haven't seen in many years. Had good visits with her husband and baby girl as well as Jay's twin sister, Jan.

Friends that feel like family don't replace family. They are in addition to family. Love'em or hate'em, they're all our blessings.

All the best for the newlyweds!