Grace

Grace: favor or goodwill; mercy

Let there be grace. For all. Let there be mercy, favor, goodwill. So many people I know are experiencing challenges these days. Unemployment. Health issues. Relationship woes. Financial stress.

There are times when it seems so unrelenting that we all wonder WHEN better times will come back 'round. Really, when will they? There don't seem to be easy answers for any of the issues I'm seeing in the lives of friends and family.

So let there be grace. Let us show mercy on ourselves and others. Let us show goodwill towards one another. Let us do what we can to help each other through difficult times, especially when so many are struggling right now.

Grace.

The winds of grace are always blowing,
but you have to raise the sail. ~ Ramakrisha

Ahhhh, weddings

This fall is full of weddings for us. The first one was this weekend in G.R., when Rico's cousin, Dillon, married her love, Sammit -- TWICE


The lovebirds met when Dillon was in highschool (just like Rico and I). Seven years later they got married. It was such a sweet ceremony -- both times. They actually wed during their rehearsal, where it was intimate and about them rather than the drama of the "wedding day"). Here they are moving in to seal the deal after getting married on Friday...

And here they are after the big to-do on Saturday -- Indian Barat, Irish blessing, big dress for her and full-on Indian wedding garb for him, carriage ride, and all.

Rico's parents, who are actually Dillon's aunt/uncle, were the "Grandparents" for Dillon since her grandparents passed away long ago. Here are Ardis and Bill with their grandkids after they sent the happy couple off for a carriage ride around downtown: And here they are on their wedding day (oh so many years ago, 1964 I think):
Their marriage led to two boys, and those two boys led to two girls who were sisters...



And that led to two boys and two sisters getting married (yes, I know, it's freakishly odd). The younger set married first at Ardis and Bills B&B -- can you guess when this was?

This lovely little flower girl is Dillon (this weekend's bride ) in that wedding many moons ago:
And then much later the older boy and girl married in uber-casual style -- NOT this...

Yes, that's Rico and I on the far right when we were "bests" in their wedding...

But rather this beach wedding that started with us sending just our immediate families on a scavenger hunt where they arrived at our wedding. Hows that for a winning prize? Aren't we funny?

Small, intimate, about us, and not the "wedding" stuff... alot like Dillon and Sammit on Friday.

Ahhh, weddings. To each his own.

And just because I can, and because I know my sis will LOVE it (not) I'll leave you with this:

Isn't she SO cute?