Twu Wuv....

Our friend, Russell Moreland, got married Friday night- and Joe, the kids, and I were lucky enough to be there and witness the wonderful occasion.You have to understand the really special place that these fellows hold in my heart- Andy, Dave, Joe, Russ and I were a pretty inseparable group for several years of my life. At a given time you could add or subtract any number of girlfriends or other friends, but the five of us spent a LOT of time together. This was in that time of our lives where we had lots of leisure time- Joe and I were living in an apartment, no kids, and not a lot of responsibility. The group (or as my mom loved to call us, the Nerd Herd) hung out as much as possible- we watched movies together, ate dinner together and just spent a lot of time laughing and joking. Don't get me wrong- it wasn't perfect. Trust me, we had some *great* fights during that time as well, but for lack any any better words, during the early days of my marriage this group WAS my family. These guys hold a very special place in my heart.

Joe and I were 'ahead' of the pack in terms of relationships, marriage and kids- we were the first to have a long term relationship, the first to be married (by many years), and the first to have kids- so I think that has made it even more fun to watch as they have found their soul mates and moved on to the next stage of their lives. Slowly over time we have watched each of them grow and change- we've watched all of them find their purpose, we've watched all of them find true love, and we've watched one them join the ranks of parenthood.

We got to be there on Friday night as Russ moved into the next stage of his life with his beautiful bride Cecilia. The wedding was beautiful- but the thing that struck me the most was how HAPPY Russ seemed. He was smiling from EAR to EAR all night long- even as he took Ceci out on the dance floor (I didn't know that Russell *could* dance!!). It was a beautiful event- and my heart was warmed by the fact that another one of 'my guys' has found true happiness and joy.
Joe, the kids and I had a pretty good time too... Colin met a very cute girl named Amy and seemed to really enjoy dancing with her, Julia loved all the 'wedding' stuff, and I think the whole experience even made Joe and I stop and think about our marriage and how it has grown and changed over the years.So, here's to Mr. and Mrs. Russ and Ceci Moreland- may you find many years of peace, happiness and joy in your marriage. Love to you both!
C