Dear Folk and Special People

Last weekend I had the privilege of traveling to California to be a part of the wedding of Mike and Kimmie Ledesma (Kimmie Ledesma? That will take a little getting used to).

Kimmie and I met when we were seven...I remember playing in the sandbox at church with her and my sister, Allyson, and her sister, Mandie. Although she moved away several years later, we were able to re-establish our friendship in 1999 and have been close ever since. We have made lots of memories at debate tournaments in California, kayaking in Pennsylvania, eating lobster in Boston (well, actually NOT eating lobster in Boston), staying at the Beach House in Charleston, and sometimes spilling our guts and bawling our eyes out to each other over the phone.

I have also known Mike and his family for ten years or more...and it was great to see them again for a while this weekend. It hadn't really sunk in to me how long I've been gone from California until I see how much everyone we knew there has grown and changed. Kids I had in Cubbies are graduating from high school. It's frightening. Still, it was fun to see some wonderful people that I hadn't seen in several years.

Anyway, I arrived very early Friday morning and had a few days to spend with Kimmie and other friends before the wedding Sunday. Paul came out on Saturday and had a good time goofing off with the groomsmen. We all drove down to Newport Beach where the wedding was and stayed the night in a hotel.

Sunday was a beautiful day. Kimmie and I went for a long walk on the beach. The weather was just about perfect. Then the other bridesmaids, Kimmie, and I spent several hours doing what we normally do in a fraction of the time...getting ready to go out the door.

The ceremony went very nicely. They were married on a cruise ship, so we had dinner and everything on board. Paul and I enjoyed the view from the top deck for a while. Brothers are great things, particularly my brother.

Monday morning 4:30 came early and that was the beginning of a horriffic 21 hours of travel time from Ontario Ca to Lexington, KY.

Mike and Kimmie called from Florida this week to give me some expert advice on marriage (in the event I ever need it). They said I would probably be okay if I didn't always insist I was right. That would be easy except that I am always right. :)