Monday Morning Memories. Sniffle.

When she was small, she was my little cuddly Beara.  There was always room in my lap or my chair for some snuggles and some reading time.  We never quite had as much of that as either of us would have liked, but we treasured those moments, and I have been assured that even now she treasures those memories.

As she grew up, she developed her own style and way of doing things.  With a smile on her face, she marches to her own unique drummer. That includes a fascinating sense of humor that I absolutely love.  Quirky humor runs in gallops through the family and those of us who share the gene enjoy each other immensely.

I'll never forget the day that she called me to tell me all about how wonderful college life was and how she thought she had found her calling in life.  I was so honored that she chose to call and share that with me.

When I discovered that she was engaged, I honestly could not believe that there would be any man quite good enough for her.  She is a special treasure and I was not sure that anyone who had not known and loved her all her life could really appreciate just how wonderful she is.

Today was the start of a lifetime journey.  Today they stood together in front of my Dad and vowed to love one another through thick and thin for the rest of their lives.  Today the smiles on the faces and the look in the eyes and the tender care of each other erased any doubts.  He might not fully appreciate her yet, but he will spend the rest of his life working on learning how to do that, just as she spends the rest of her life learning how to love, appreciate, and care for him.

It was a very sweet wedding.  The bride was the most beautiful bride ever ~ at least the most beautiful one since our last family wedding!

So here they are, the new Mr. and Mrs.  Congratulations, Ben and Cara; my sweet niece and my newest nephew.

And isn't that a gorgeous dress?!

Looks like he marches to a fun drummer too.  The grey Texas boots on the left are my brother, the fashionable footwear on the right belongs to the groom.  But the cool boots belong to the bride.

Pictures shared with permission of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Swakopf.