# 308 - Closer and Closer

My sister has been married for over five years now. However, before getting married, she lived a full, content life as a single woman and professional in the education field, waiting until she was 30 years old to get married. She never lived with a guy because she treasured her independence with fierceness, but once she found her love-match to last a life-time, she was committed and ready to start living with a family of her own.

In the photo below, you can see my dad up front waving, my mom is sitting in her wheelchair next to him and she's wearing her Red-Rose scarf. Of course, red roses were Robin's theme for her wedding and it couldn't have been more beautiful. I love this photo; it truly shows the joy of the occasion.



My sister, Robin, and her husband, Warren, on their wedding day.

We managed to get my mother into a standing position for this photo below, for just a couple of minutes, but it was not easy. She was very weak. In fact, in less than five months after my sister's wedding, our mother will have passed away from breast cancer. We were very blessed to have her with us for the wedding.



From left: my Aunt Peggy, my dad, Stefie, my mom Shelley,
daughter Heather, niece Phoebe, my sister Robin, Warren,
Nathan (Warren's son), Me, husband David, grandmother Laura,
Nephew Quinn, Brother Doug, Nephew Walter, Sister-in-Law Mary

Now we have our own daughter getting married. Heather and Henry's big day is October 13th, not too far away. Heather has planned every detail of her wedding down to each table decoration; she is one organized woman.

I've always admired her creativity and her ability to see things in her mind's eye before she makes it a reality. She's quite the artistic type. I guess having a mother who was an art major might have had a little something to do with her cultivating the inner "artist" in her soul, but she has a huge natural dose of it, so it took very little to light her artistic fire.

She's also a bargain hunter. Elements to be used in her decorating have been hunted down and purchased for great deals because she is so determined and savvy.

On the day Henry asked Heather to marry him, both families served as joyful, nervous witnesses. It was a day of a lot of laughs and happy tears! The location? Texas A&m, of course!



Yes, he did get on one knee and propose, but it was the
spring-up knee kind, so fast that there were less
photo opportunities. But, this moment I caught was precious.
I had started crying and shaking, could barely hold camera straight!
To see the happiness in both their expressions was a moment to cherish.

I couldn't ask for a more warm-hearted family for Heather to have as in-laws. They are just like us, people with their ups and downs, but also just like us because when it comes down to it, they stick together like glue. For Heather, this was very important. We're more city version and they are more country, but I'm hoping to remedy that very soon and to join the country side of life!

The kids have parents who have taught that things don't have to always be "perfect" to be "just right." No doubt, there's a lot of love in this group of people.



Heather and Henry with us and his family on Engagement Day.

Little sister Stefanie has to get another close up of the ring that she helped Henry pick out for her big sister. Everyone should have a life-long buddy such as these girls have in each other.

And I am always one very proud mom. I don't like living so far away from Heather, especially with all the "busy" years that are to come her direction once she starts her own family. But, I guess I started my own family from another country, from Germany, and Heather will also find her way as well. She's fortunate to live near her in-laws because that is a huge bonus. When the day comes, I'll be making as many trips to see her as I can and to ease her new-mommy-exhaustion that comes with the territory of being dubbed a "parent." For now, her mommyhood is still a thing of the future, but I think it's getting closer to being a reality since the wedding will soon be over!!!!


Me and Heather on her Engagement Day. Yes, she's
a tall one, with heels on, she's about 6' 2".

Forcing myself to stop thinking about grandbabies...As part of the Engagement Day activities back in 2010, and yes, it's been a LONG engagement...we all walked around campus and took pictures. The photo below is of the Century Tree on the Texas A&M campus and it's known for being THE place for proposals to take place. You will hardly find a day where you could walk under it without seeing scattered rose petals and flowers laying all over the place. It is sacred and emotional.

As the sunlight fades, I was able to capture this shot of Heather and Henry beneath the tree on their Engagement Day.

Heather and Henry beneath the Century Tree.

Anyway, the wedding seems to be zooming toward us. After this lengthy engagement and feeling as if the wedding is in the far, far, far distance, it now seems to suddenly be around the corner!

In the next moment, I will blink and it will all be over...my firstborn child will be married and she'll be building a family of her own.

Oh I can't wait! The fun is JUST BEGINNING!