WINTER WEDDING WONDERLAND
Cindy Maddera
"I've positioned myself right next to the cake."
Right now, I am currently propped on the couch watching last night's episode of Downton Abbey. Josephine is curled up asleep at my hip. I've taken today off so I could have a moment to set things straight before going back to work. Groceries needed to be purchased and I desperately needed to dust and vacuum, but all of that is done now. All that's left is to make this evenings dinner. So, I have a few hours to sit and compile my thoughts. Except now that I'm sitting down to do that, I realize I don't have too many thoughts to compile.
Weekend trips to Oklahoma always seem to rush by in a blur. This one was mixed with snow and ice. The snow started just as Talaura and I reached Wichita. Roads didn't get bad until I made it to Oklahoma City just in time for rush hour. My last hour of driving was a bit tense, but I think this was more to do with the other drivers on the road than the weather. So I parked myself in the Jens' home and didn't leave until it was absolutely necessary. We ate Hideaway Pizza and ginger bread cookies and watched Mrs. Fisher's Murder Mysteries. It was so warm and cozy, I had to be reminded that the real reason for my visit was not sitting on a couch with a puppy on my lap. I was there for a wedding. And not just any wedding. Misti and Mark's wedding.
I squeezed myself into a dress, put some lipstick on and headed out to celebrate. Which I did. Misti looked beautiful and it had nothing to do with her gown, though it was gorgeous. Every time I spotted Mark, he was grinning from ear to ear. Those two where lit with joy, the kind of joy that comes from declaring to all of your friends and family that you mean it. You mean to spend the rest of your happy days together. And they do. Chris used to always say "we want good things for those we love." He never said the reason for wanting those good things for our friends. The reason is that he and I both got great joy out of seeing our friends happy. Purely selfish reasons. My heart swelled with knowing that these two were so happy. We laughed, we drank, we ate cake and we danced. That's how happy we all were and are for these two people.
I really couldn't be more happy for these two. I know we all wished for more time, but I think we did a good job of savoring the time we had together. I arrived in swirling snow and just as quickly as the weather changes in Oklahoma, I left. The roads where clear and the sky was blue and Misti was married. Sadie, Sadie.