Royal Wedding Perspective

On her wedding day in 1981,  I had just graduated from college. I was just two years older than Diana.

I didn't know it at the time, but in just one month or so I would meet my future husband.

We didn't have a DVR at the time, so my sister Lori and I awoke at 4:00AM to watch our first royal wedding. 

We were soooo excited.
Everything was magical.
Diana was so beautiful and we thought her gown was magnificent - so fitting of a princess.

We could just imagine ourselves in Diana's shoes.
We could almost feel how she was feeling.
We were emotional. 
It was like a fairy tale.

To be honest,  I think I remember the details of Diana's wedding day more than my own!




So today I woke up (not at 4:00AM this time thanks to my DVR!) and turned on the royal wedding again.

It was nice to be able to fast-forward through the long boring parts right to the good part - THE DRESS.

So different than Diana's.
But very beautiful.

 

As I watched the ceremony, however,  it was through very different eyes.

 

I was no longer seeing myself in the bride's shoes.

My perspective has changed.

Instead, I was seeing them as my kids.

In a few years, I will probably be watching my own children begin their own fairy tales.

I was picturing Adam as the groom.
I was envisioning Annie and Kerry as brides.

THAT will be emotional!

Halle is TWO!

Halle celebrated her 2nd birthday on 2 days ago.  I meant to get her birthday blog posted then, but circumstances beyond my control prevented me.  The circumstances?  She was suffering from a bad diarrhea attack which lasted a few days.  After cleaning carpets and giving her 5 or six baths, I think we have it under control. 

Halle came to us from Shadagrace Finnish Lapphunds in Winnipeg, Canada.  Two years ago I flew there to get her and bring her home.

Halle was an adorable puppy!

 

 She did what puppies do...

 

 

For quite a while, Sami didn't care much for Halle's exuberance.

And Tigger maybe lost a few pounds (maybe ounces) trying to chase her away!

Sharing was an issue too!

But Halle continued to grow.

Soon getting almost too big for my lap.

Her coloring changed constantly and kept us wondering what she would finally look like!

But as time went on,  everybody made friends.

 

Halle is very smart and loyal. And she LOVES attention!

Over the past winter,  her fur has thickened a lot and she is absolutely beautiful!

 These pictures were taken just this morning so Grandma Gloria in Winnipeg can see what our girl looks like!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Halle! 

You are all grown up!

We love you!

Adam is 20 Today!

 Adam came into this world 20 years ago today.  He was such a handsome baby with a full head of black hair and dark eyes.

Adam was such a happy baby.  He didn't nap very much because I think he was too interested in the world around him.  He didn't want to miss anything and he loved to learn.

Barney was his favorite stuffed animal.  Barney went everywhere with him!

Adam collected matchbox cars.  Here he made a city with his "Woodtown" set and Lincoln Logs.  He had a great imagination and would play for hours at a time!

He was such a sweet little boy!  He was always willing to help me around the house!

He used to watch the old Gumby cartoons, so I made this costume for him for Halloween.

When he was little, he hated to be the center of attention.  On his third birthday, he covered his ears while we sang "Happy Birthday".

From a young age,  he had an appreciation for the beauty of nature.  And he always took his camera with him wherever he went.  Here he takes a picture of the Burlington waterfront (with Kerry).

 He has been such a sweet, thoughtful brother (most of the time!)

 He used to drive Kerry around in the little red jeep...

... and years later, in the Scion.

Adam was a cub scout.  His dad was one of his den leaders.

He was very creative and artistic.  His artwork was selected to be hung at the state capitol.  For a while, we thought he might want to be an architect.  He loved to draw detailed houses.

Adam was the videographer of the family.  Adam, Kerry, Annie, and our neighbor Jon used to spend a lot of time making very creative movies.  Adam would be behind the camera, and then edit the movie on the computer.  He was amazing at it!

Harry Potter was the perfect choice for Halloween!  He looked just like Harry!

 Adam has such a huge heart for animals.  I could always count on him to walk the dogs.

When he went away to college,  I think he missed Sami more than the rest of the family!

 Another love is music.  He began playing piano in 1st grade and then the sax in 5th grade.

 In 2007, we took a trip to Italy.  Adam loved it!  Now he plans to spend next semester studying in Italy.

Here is Adam on the beach in Italy with his good friend Maggie.

 Lake George is another one of Adam's favorite places in the world.

 Adam stands here with his grandmother and his two good friend, Jordan and Andrew.

In high school, Adam loved track and cross country.  It was the only sport that he was ever interested in.

With the exception of badminton, that is.  He loves badminton!

Happy 20th Birthday, Adam! 
I am very proud of all that you have done and all that your are.
I hope you know that you are very much loved by very many people!

Have a GREAT day!