::wedding::

It was a beautiful day, the weather was lovely, I got to marry the love of my life and we had fun. Now, here are the pictures:

I loved my bouquet; I'd sent my mom a photo from a magazine and she and my sister made it happen. Pretty, hmmm?

Because David is a Jewish/Agnostic with Buddhist tendancies and I am an Atheist, we needed someone, um, "special" to perform our heathen ceremony. Enter, Steve the Most Beloved Hebe (aka David's brother). He is also a stand-up-comedian which means he is almost never serious. So when he asked me, a week prior, if I would mind if he wore an orange ruffled-tuxedo shirt, I said "Go ahead!" Because, well, I thought he was joking but also, hell, orange my favorite color so even if he wasn't kidding, why not? He wasn't kidding.

The ceremony was so fun and funny. Steve said that given today's divorce rate, rather than vows, we should have "goals". So he asked things like "David, will you promise to try to realize that tennis clothing is not, in fact, appropriate for every occassion?" and "Kate, will you try to understand that just because you still have checks left in the check-book, that does no mean you still have funds available?" To which we each had to answer "I'll try."

In a nod to both David's Jewish roots and my Hillbilly heritage, instead of smashing a wine-glass, we smashed a Bud Lite can.

Despite evidence to the contrary, we did take the wedding somewhat seriously and we wrote our own vows. David's were so beautiful and heartfelt.

Then we were pronounced husband and wife:

Anna came up and acted as the "Interrupting Kisser" just like she does at home, which is to say, any time David and I kiss, she squeezes her way into the middle of it for a "group love".

As we walked out, we had "She's No Lady She's My Wife" by Lyle Lovett playing:

"The preacher asked her,

and she said 'I do'.

The Preacher asked me, and she said

'Yes, he does too'.

The preacher said

'I pronounce you

nintey-nine-to-life'.

She's no lady

she's my wife"

Then, on to the party:

Christina and Nichole

Christina, Jennifer, me and Nichole. My girls.

Lala, me and Anna

The Calechmans: Susan, me, David, Steve and Jim

Sarah, my mom and Heather

Jodi, me, mom and Linda (aka Lala)

Me and my beautiful mom

There aren't very many pictures of Anna because she was either in the bounce-house, catching grass-hoppers or playing in the ditch behind the barn with her cousins. Look at sweet, sparkly-lavender and muddy Grace:

My 19 yr. old niece Andrea is like Peter Pan; the little kids follow her everywhere. This is the first time I've ever seen her in a skirt, and yet she didn't hesitate to play in the dirt.

Really, the day was so fun. We had a bouncy-castle on-site for the kids. Even big ones.

This is my sister. She managed to get herself stuck between the floor and the mesh netting not once but twice. We saw her underwear. She is almost 50. Insanity runs in my family.

I had several people tell me that it was the most fun they'd had at a wedding, ever. It was completely "Kate and David", every last bit of it.

This is exactly how I felt, all day:

I'm so glad that I found David so that every day can feel like this.

I love you, Sweetie!

And just remember, no one can hear you scream.

xoxo