Daddy Can Wear His Suitcase, You'll Wear That White Dress...

When Meazi was first learning English, she spent about two full months being obsessed with our wedding. She talked about it all the time. She looked at the photo albums. She watched the video we have. She told me that she wished she could have been there. I spent months muttering to myself indignantly, "Just another thing adopted kids miss! They don't even get to go to their parents' wedding!" I realize now, that this was a ridiculous thought that I had, and that kids don't get to be at their parents' wedding (unless it is a second marriage or something). I don't know why I temporarily forgot that biological kids miss this day too. In a way they are there though aren't they? All of their cells and parts 'to be' are present in the bodies of their mom and dad. Maybe they are just a little sparkle in their mom's eye, but in a way, I feel like they get to be there. Obviously not a major issue, but the fact that she was so sad about it made me sad.

We had the pleasure of going to Santa Fe over Thanksgiving. I originally had a big idea of getting Steven to renew our vows so that Meazi and Melese could get a small glimpse of what our wedding was like. Steven, because of work, only had two full days in Santa Fe. The kids and I flew out on Tuesday. On Wednesday night at 8:30 pm, Steven left work, picked up Teddy, and drove 13 plus hours to meet us in New Mexico. He left Sunday morning to get back in time for work. That, combined with the fact that Steven looked at me like I was crazy when I suggested renewing our vows, made me drop the idea. I had, however, checked to see if the same judge was available. It turns out he has a blog (is there anyone who doesn't have a blog at this point?).

We had a chance to take Meazi and Melese to the rooftop where we wed. The picture above is where our reception was. There was a family in there who had also snuck in through the kitchen to check it out. We told them that this was where our wedding had been. They asked if we would recommend it for their wedding. Steven looked at them and said, "Well, we are still married." They took this as a good sign. Meazi asked about the reception, and Steven told her about the dinner, and the speeches, and how papa dressed up like Elvis. He told her again about Mark's speech and how Mark told us to always look to the people present when we needed support and love.

Melese slept through the entire thing. Maybe it was the altitude. While we were there I was remembering how Meazi thought men wore 'suitcases' for special occasions. Her English has come a long way.

I was grateful for the opportunity to fill in our family's history with more than words and pictures. I was grateful for the opportunity to hold my children in my arms in that special spot. But Steven, if you change your mind, I always thought you looked quite handsome in that suitcase and I wouldn't mind putting on that white dress again, (although it would have to be let out). Imagine how cute the flower girl would be...

And the ring bearer...