This one is for Paul and Kate

I tried to post this all last week but for some reason this website wasn't working.  I'm so glad it's back up, there is much to talk about!

My little brother got married!  It’s been almost three weeks ago and I just haven’t felt able to write about it until now.  It was a fun crazy week and weekend and I think it took me a long time to process it all.  Plus it always makes me super sad when my brother and Kate leave and this time we don’t know when we will see them again.  For sure next spring/summer when we go to visit but that is a LONG time from now…

Paul and Kate arrived the weekend before the wedding and we were busy getting things ready (painting the house, cleaning, etc.)  On Tuesday Uncle Steven and Una arrived and I met everyone in Ione.  Unfortunately, Bryce missed out because of work, that pesky work!  We spent Wednesday playing on the pontoon at the lake and then the kids and I rushed back to Spokane to really get going on the festivities!  I spent Thursday cleaning while Darby watched the kids and Uncle Steven and Una showed up in the evening.  We took a fun walk to the park and relaxed a bit.  Friday we woke up running, picked up tuxes and made it to the rehearsal at 1:00.  Then we had dinner at 3:00 and stayed at the NoLi Brewery until late in the evening visiting with all the friends and family.

Of course the day of the wedding was crazy!  While Paul and Bryce ran around town picking up beer and other last minute items I took in the flower girl dress and finished the veil.  Then I found a dress for Aunt Dana, bathed the kids and got everybody dressed.  After discovering that the ties for the tuxes were the wrong color I called the dress shop and tux shop and got that straightened out.  We arrived early at the wedding site so that we could help with set up and be ready for pictures.

Everything was beautiful and went perfectly.  They had a really amazing day.  And since Paul told such wonderful stories at my wedding I was ready to tell some on him, I thought this would be a fun way to remember pretty close to what I said in my toast, but since I didn't write it down I'm sure it's not exactly what I said…

“I can’t believe we are here at my little brother’s wedding!  It’s especially amazing to me because I spent most of my life believing I was an only child. It’s true.  I’m almost six years older than Paul and I always wanted a sibling.  I used to ask my mom, ‘is there a baby in your belly yet?’ And finally I got a brother, but since I wanted a sister that was a disappointment.  

The fun thing about being so much older than your little brother is that I remember his whole life, although that may not be so great for him.  I got to help him learn to ride a bicycle, and then he surpassed me and learned to ride a unicycle.  I saved his life several times.  Once he fell off the top of a big toy at the park and I grabbed him, he still cried but I saved him from falling!  If you are from Ione you know the pond at Box Canyon Dam where everybody swims.  Paul wasn’t quite big enough to swim to the dock by himself yet so he had a paddle board.  And he had just gotten new snorkel gear for his birthday.  I could not wait to use the snorkel gear but mom said he got to first since it was his.  Out by the dock he lost his paddle board and it kept floating away from him.  He started to panic and pulled off the snorkel gear, I jumped in and saved him.  That snorkel gear is still at the bottom of the pond and I never got to use it! 

When I was little I would lay on the floor drawing, like most little girls I thought I would grow up to be an artist.  I adored my little brother but he would grab my pictures and rip them up!  I always thought he was just being a mean little sibling but then he grew up to be an amazing artist so really he was just ripping my pictures up because they were terrible.  

Last night at the rehearsal dinner Paul was telling us about all of his attributes.  In high school he worked in a machine shop learning to weld, and then he started the shop on fire.  He’s really great at helping out around the house, and then he started the orange bridge on fire.  And then he became a firefighter!  

If you  have been around Paul for more than 30 seconds you know that he is hilarious!  Even when things are really sad.  After Dad died we were all laying in bed and Paul was telling us about how he wishes there was something to sleep in besides boxer shorts.  They get all twisted up and when you get out of bed they rip.  All I could imagine was my brother leaping out of bed like a super hero, his boxers ripping off!  I can still remember my mom in the morning we were laying there crying and Paul got out of bed, through her tears she said ‘don’t rip your boxers.’  

Kate has been around forever, I just kind of always knew who she was.  I was gone to college when her and Paul dated in Junior High so I didn’t really get to know her then.  She worked at the Dam with my mom and I would hear all about Kate and everything that was going on with her through Mom.  Mom could not have been more thrilled when they started dating.  They dated long distance while Kate was still in college and Paul was in Winnemucca but it worked out that they were both home over Labor Day weekend.  All of my friends from college were here visiting and Paul and Kate came over.  She must have been kind of nervous because she drank a lot of wine and blamed it on my fish bowl wine glasses, so Kate, beware of fish bowl wine classes, because they lead you to Paul I guess!  

Paul I am so proud of you, the work you do, and who you have become.  I am so happy that you found a great girl who is willing to move to Winnemucca with you. Kate,  I am so happy to have you in our family, obviously my mom loves you, and my dad loved you too.”

I had a dream the other night about the wedding and I woke up thinking oh good all that craziness was just a dream, but then I remembered that the wedding is over and it made me sad.  It was such a fun time and fun times end all too soon it seems!  Congratulations Paul and Kate we love you!!!