As I said in Professional Flower Girl, Aaron, Ella and I headed up to the Portland area for Aaron's cousin's wedding. BEAUTIFUL wedding. BEAUTIFUL bride. BEAUTIFUL spirit and connection between the newly married couple. I feel so honored and blessed having been able to witness their wedding day. Congrats, Courtney and Travis! :)
There's so much to talk about. I feel overloaded with thoughts I want to express, stories I want to share, insight I have and everything in-between. But, I guess my first post back from the trip will be about my favorite memories I'm taking away from this trip. In no particular order, here they are!
- Watching Ella run to an open-armed Grandma and then hearing a lady behind me say, "Oh gosh, I just got goosebumps." I did too! It was a sight to see. The second Ella spotted her, she just ran full speed ahead to the hug Grandma had been waiting for for far too long.
- And then, when Grandpa came out of the restroom, Ella did the same to him and once he was holding her, she ever-so-sweetly said, "I love you." Melt my heart into pudding, why don't you! Ella's love for her grandparents is pure and true, and I'm so happy that the physical distance and lack of time with them hasn't put any sort of handicap on her loving and trusting them.
- Perfection exuded through every last detail at the wedding. I was truly amazed!
- The slow dance turn hip-hop dance skit performed by the bride and groom. They got the whole crowd from crying with sentimental joy to crying from laughter. That was the BEST! Ella kept whispering in my ear, "When is it my turn to dance?"
- The groom's brother's speech. I think it touched every person there.
- Aaron and Andy's (Aaron's brother) ridiculous fire building in their parents' small fire pit. Never give two boys (at heart) lighter fluid and a fire pit, big or small, and tell them to build a fire. They'll build a fire alright, and make it a competition to see how high they can make the flames!
- Playing H-O-R-S-E with Aaron and Andy. I was out at an embarrassing speed, but watching the guys play just made me laugh. Aaron would always do muscle shots and Andy would always attempt shots that only a 6'9 beast with a crazy ability to spin the basketball could make.
- Dan calling Aaron and Andy "Muscles" and "No brains," and Andy automatically assuming that "No brains" was him! LOL!
- Ella consistently calling Grandpa Dan a "Gomer."
- Spending time with our best friends, Matt and Danielle, and their 17-month old, Hadley. They are an adorable family and mean the world to us. If only we lived closer to them...
- Singing "Happy Birthday" to Ella with her smiling an angelic smile while looking around the room. I could really tell she was soaking in just how special that was.
- Hearing Roy (my Grandpa-in-law) tell me that even though he is an 80-year old man, I inspire him. I will seriously cherish those words forever. Thank you, Roy! I hold Roy and Carol, his wife, in the highest regard, and hearing any words of encouragement and appreciation coming from them will always stay with me. They are so family-oriented and I look up to them so much. They have managed to bury themselves into a very special spot in my heart. They are an inspiration to me.
- Ella really taking to Uncle Andy and demanding a lot of his attention, and Andy being really great with her in return. This was the first time I truly really saw her having that special connection with her uncle.
- Playing pool with Aaron and getting the "Oh honey" look from Aaron every time I did something only I could manage to do.
- Going on what we think was a 3 to 3-1/2 mile walk/hike along the Willamette River at Molalla State Park with Dan and Janice (parents-in-law), getting lost (I don't know how we all managed that!), finding a baby snake and frog to show a curious Ella.
- Ella getting a cute swimsuit from Andy and my new sister-in-law, Holli, for her birthday, and immediately running down the hall to change into it, and then refusing to take it off. She definitely loves her swimsuits!
- Aaron's aunt and uncle, Kenneth and Phyl-eth...enough said! :)
Okay, I'm sure I forgot some other memories I want to take away from this weekend, but I'm simply too exhausted to put any more effort into this post!
Thanks to everyone who made it out to Ella's 17-days-from-turning-four birthday party and for all the gifts. She's a very lucky girl to be loved by so many great people.
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