Gonna Get Married...

I promise this will be the last of the wedding pictures. I have so many good pictures that it was hard to decide which ones to share up on my blog without boring you all (all 6 of ya's) to tears. I'm not a great fan of going to weddings as a rule, but we really had a good time this weekend, despite how crazy it was and how tired we were afterward. It was weird for me to watch my baby H get married. She was 13 when I met her, which is the same age as Mr. Man is right now (well, he's almost 14 but still). I've known her for almost half her life and have watched her grow up from a little girl into a lovely woman. She is the little sister that I never had, and I love her. She was the one who came and stayed with me at the end of my pregnancy with Ms. Thang, so that she could stay with Mr. Man while we went to the hospital.


It made my MIL crazy because she was driving on the highway at night after work (don't even get me started) and so on the nights she had to work, she couldn't stay over. Of course, I went into labor on a morning she wasn't there so my mom stayed until she showed up. She has lived with us on more than one occasion, she has stayed with us when she has had to travel for work and quite honestly, she is my favorite of all The Boy's family. I can't get over that she is married and my heart was so full of love for her as I watched her and S exchange their vows. She's had some bad relationships in her life, and I've come to see that he has been the best thing that happened to her (except for me of course). From where I was sitting, I had the best view of him during the ceremony, and I wish I could've seen the look on her face.. but if it was anything like the look he had, then I am more than satisfied. Everyone always looks to watch the Bride come up the isle and oohs and ahhhs and what have you, and I turned to look at S to see the big smile that I was sure was on his face, and along with it were the most sincere tears of joy I've ever seen on a guy. We are happy to welcome him to the "outlaws" (married spouses of The Boy's family).
My MIL and FIL took dance classes and they just loved them! I was hoping to dance with my FIL at the wedding but his knees are bad right now and I know that it was more important to him to dance with H, and with my MIL for their dance. I'm OK with that. I love my FIL more than I'll ever be able to tell him. He has been the father that I've never really had and he has set such a good example for his own children of how a husband/father should be. He has taught his children with words, and with the way that he chooses to live his life. I truly believe that my FIL is a saint and has a special place reserved in Heaven. He had a smile on his face all day that just made my heart happy. He never fails to let his children know how loved they are and how proud he is of them. I forget what the song was that they danced to (I know it wasn't one of those sappy, traditional father/daughter songs), and I don't know if they practiced beforehand or not, but they were a sight to behold out there on the dance floor.

Ms. Thang had such a good time dancing the night away. The wedding was at 5:15, we were supposed to be announced at 7:30 but by the time the photos were done and we were all set and at the restaurant, and they called us it, it was about 8:00. So figure that the party only started then, and we'd had a long, full day behind us already. I know that I was exhausted by then, and I know the kids were both tired, but that didn't stop her from cutting up that dance floor with everyone else. I actually went out and danced about 5 or 6 fast songs in a row with her and we had a great time. I was very grateful for the flip flops H bought us all to wear because I don't know how I would've felt after dancing all night in 3" heels. They Boy spent that time catching up with one of our old friends that we haven't seen in about 7 or 8 years (I had caught up with him earlier in the night when everyone else was eating dinner) and Mr. Man...
Well, they say a picture says a thousand words. He didn't feel good, and that he made it through the day until this point I think is a testament to him. I took this photo at about 11pm, which was about 2 hours after he would've liked to have gone to bed, and an hour before the reception ended. He was just sitting there, and I looked over, and he was out like a light. He got up after a bit and went and hung out with the DJ for the rest of the night, asking him all sorts of geeky questions about the equipment I'm sure, and we finally got back to our room and into bed around 2am. It was a wonderful day, and one I will hold in my heart for a long time to come.