We arrived in Louisville anxious for the big wedding, but ready to relax and have fun with the Keltys before the big day. John had so much fun getting reacquainted with his uncles and his grandparents. Chris and John went to see a U of L baseball game with Goopaw one afternoon. Goopaw really cares about John’s health and so he made sure to get him ice cream and nachos for lunch. Thank you Dale! Food seems to be a theme of our vacations. I was on a diet at the beginning of the week which came to a crashing hault by the end of the week. It all fell apart the night my mother in law made chicken and dumplins. I never thought I was a big fan…but I am now! Thank you Sharon for all the good meals! John had his first professional haircut in preparation for being a ring bearer. He had it done at “Cookie Cutters”, a salon just for kids. When Chris called to make the appointment he was ticked that the cost was $14.95. When we left Cookie Cutters we were discussing how we should bring the franchise to Harrisonburg. The haircut was worth every penny. It took the video, the balloon, the toys, the snacks, the indoor playground, the skilled haircutter, and both me and Chris to keep John from jumping out of his pink jeep chair. His hair never would have gotten cut in a regular salon. Thank you Cookie Cutters!

For the past 18 months my brother-in law Derek and his fiance Kelly have been planning thier wedding. As I write this they are finally relaxing with tropical drinks in the sun in the Siesta Keys. The wedding is sure to make headlines as the 2008 wedding of the year! The weekend started with a Rehearsal Dinner that overlooked the U of L football field. If you don’t know Kelly and Derek, this may seem like a weird spot for a rehearsal dinner. I have learned that being a Kelty really means being a Cardinals fan. It took me a couple of years, but I am now a fan myself. Derek was lucky enough to find a girl that was as crazy about the Cards as he was. He proposed outside the stadium, so it was fitting to get the wedding weekend started there. Thanks to my in-laws for a fabulous evening!

Kelly was an exceptionally beautiful bride. One of my favorite moments of the day was when John (one of 2 ring bearers) was screaming for freedom from my arms just seconds before his wedding debut, when we rounded the corner where the bridal party was lined up to go down the aisle. Frantically trying to calm him, I whispered in his ear, “John, look at Aunt Kelly”. As he turned to look at her, the screaming instantly stopped and his mouth hung open in awe as he saw her beauty, a big smile fell over his face. He did a precious job of jogging down the aisle to find his daddy, we were proud!

My dad performed the ceremony and that made me proud too. My mom played the role of babysitter to John and Ben during the wedding. I don’t know how I could have survived the weekend without her help! Ben of course was his usual sweet and calm self. He slept in his stroller during most of the evening. When he was awake he was being passed around to family and friends. Every time Chris and looked up someone new was cuddling him!
The wedding was proceded by quite a celebration. Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Goranson for

giving us, the guests, a party to be remembered. The flowers, the food, the dancing, not to mention the TV which was surrounded by all the U of L fans (groom and bride included) made the evening spectacular. John danced for 3 hours straight and had the time of his life! For me

the best part about the weekend was that I now have a new sister whom I love. Congratulations Derek and Kelly.