I know everyone heard this a time or two this weekend but IT’S ABOUT TIME! My family congregated in Atlanta for the weekend to celebrate the wedding of Kim and Erich. As always there was a lot of eating, dancing and laughing. And inebriation.

These lovebirds met in middle school some fifteen years ago. He chased her for many years before she finally gave him her number. At least that’s how the story goes from the bride. (I promise to update my post if I hear differently from the groom.) The exchange took place in Panama City Mall’s Pretzel Time. If any of you have forgotten or are too young, let’s just say it doesn’t get any prettier than a Pretzel Time uniform- black apron, clear gloves and a visor- and the smell of a mall food court!

I had the great privilege of watching their love grow. I remember coming over to play with Myhanh, Kim’s younger sister, and she would spend a lot of time on the phone with Erich. When we did our girls shopping trips in Atlanta and stayed with Kim and Erich he never complained about our crazy antics to our face. That’s how we knew he was a keeper. They finally tied the knot this weekend after twelve years and I’m so sad it did not happen sooner. The food and the celebration was amazing all over. We enjoyed the stylish vocals and dancing of Conner and his back up dancers, moved to some of Erich’s own beats, and at one point the groom was crowd surfing. Pretty telling by the photos that this is a family that knows how to party!

Congratulations again, Kim and Erich! Warmest wishes for more happiness than your hearts can hold.

Serendipity is a propensity for making fortunate discoveries while looking for something unrelated.

Three years ago today I was taking a seat on a return flight from Florida to Austin when I looked up and noticed a guy searching for his seat. As I start to buckle up I hear a sarcastic “So you think you’re getting comfortable there, huh?” I smiled and rose from my aisle seat so the fellow passenger could take his assigned seat near the window. We introduce ourselves. He was coming from Sarasota and I from Panama City Beach, both returning to Austin after Thanksgiving weekend with our families. We proceeded to discuss the books we had in hand, “Eats Shoots and Leaves” and “Atlas Shrugged”. I’m not sure what happened thereafter but minutes later he suggests I take the middle seat because someone will likely be seated between us. I declined, saying we should be fine. It didn’t look like a full flight.

We continue conversing and he insists I move over. I bargained with him and said I would move over if there happened to be another person sitting in our row. Sure enough a man comes along claiming the middle seat that would separate us. I offer my aisle seat and he happily accepts. For the next twenty-something minutes of the short flight we talk about work, ourselves, and our families. Our plane began its initial descend when he asks me to join him and a few buddies for dinner two nights later. I had to decline as I had a standing date with my girlfriends at the time. The following night I get a call asking if my plans with the girlfriends had changed and if I was free for dinner. I was not able.

It was another week and a half before I was finally able to meet him for sushi. At the risk of seeming cliche and borderline cheesy I remember there being a point early on during dinner when everything stopped for just one second and I realized there was something amazing about this guy. So I was happy when he asked if we could go see a movie afterward. As the saying goes, “The rest is history”.

I’m not sure where I’d be now if one of us took our seat five minutes later or if I was assigned a seat in different row. I guess I’ll never know. I’m just fortunate of the good luck and chance that brought us together. I would have never imagined three years later we would be flying together after Thanksgiving and our cousins’ wedding in Atlanta. As some sort of homage to my previous service..he took the middle seat. The only person that got in between us this time was our daughter!

For Sunday fun day, we drove over to Cedar Creek where I participated in the Warrior Dash. It was a 5k race with 7 obstacles which included: jumping over abandoned cars, climbing wooden barricades, rappelling tangled nets and ropes, hustling up and down giant bales of hay, zipping across wooden planks, jumping over fire, and dashing/crawling/falling in mud – all in the forest. Just as I was crawling through the last obstacle which required crawling through mud on all fours in order to avoid barbwire, I hear my husband yelling my name and as I was told I looked over with a big grin and a muddy tooth which apparently could have been mistakened for a gap. I definitely earned warrior status. I also have a huge battle wound in the shape of a pink bruise on my shin to justify the title. Fun times! I felt like a kid all over again.

Since we are leaving Thursday to spend Thanksgiving with my family, I prepared an Austin Thanksgiving dinner for our family here. I am most thankful I have not killed anyone with my cooking. Yet.

Officially comatose from all overeating and physical exertion but before I get some shut eye I wanted to share a sneak peek at my latest bride, Olivia, who looks straight off the cover of Vogue. She was simply stunning. Stay tuned for the rest.

Now, I sleep.