They Said Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is official; Jeff and Kerry are married.  The ceremony was beautiful, Kerry was beautiful, and Jeff looked extremely happy.  They have been together for five years, and our whole family is extremely thrilled about this step in their relationship.  Kerry has been a Klima (and Jeff a Belvill) forever, so it was just a beautiful day.

Jeff (my brother) and Kerry (his wife) were married in the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, NV.  It was a beautiful day and the whole family was there.  Aunts, uncles, and cousins from LA, Chicago, and IL were there along with a myriad of friends.

I am currently posting from the lobby of the hotel (where there is free Wi-Fi; otherwise, you have to pay $13/day for Wi-Fi in your room.  Rip-off!) so I will have to post photos of the happy couple when I finally upload them.  But otherwise, yea!  I have a new SIL who is incredible and a brother who is super happy.  It's been a great weekend.  More fun to come in the next week; Grand Canyon, meeting up with the LBC girls for dinner, PEDICURE AT THE SWAN, hanging with the Davis clan and the McLeary's, and then the reception on Saturday.  I have lots of great stories, but need more time in which to detail them.  But the long and the short of it is, Jeff and Kerry said yes, so now they live happily ever after.  Good deal.

Just like the cartoons

You know in cartoons when the dog barks really hard and the force of the bark pushes it backwards?  Yeah, Maggie did that the other night.  There are some raccoons sneaking around the neighborhood and Maggie, in her position as dog defender of the homestead (what else would you expect from a Wonder Pup?) has taken to going after them.  She will bark so hard at them that she jumps back a few inches.  It's hilarious.  It would be more hilarious if it wasn't at 3 AM and I was woken out of a sound sleep.  But hey, what can you do but laugh when it produces hilarious results.

RIP Nonie

My mom called me tonight to tell me my Nonie had passed away this morning.  Nonie was my Grandma's friend, and an adopted Grandma to my brothers and I.  She has been a part of my life since before I was born.  Grandma and Nonie travelled everywhere together; they went to Hawaii four times, drove across the country a couple times, came to Eureka to visit us more times than I can count.  Nonie came to all of our birthdays (when we lived in LA), our baptisms (even those who were baptized in Eureka), and spent every Christmas with us.  She was a grandmother to us in all the ways that mattered.

She had some major and minor strokes years ago, and kept having them.  She was sick, and in pain, and it was her time.  I don't quite know how to process this.  I am sad that she is gone; it is the ending of a chapter of my life.  On the other hand, she is in a happier place and free from her pain.  It is a surreal feeling.

But this I know.  I know that through the Savior, we can be with our family again; forever.  I have a strong testimony that this includes family we create in our hearts, not just DNA.  I will see my Nonie again.  And it will be a joyous reunion.

Because I'm just not busy enough...

Remember this post?  You know, when I witnessed an armed robbery at Jack in the Box in Fremont?  Guess what I got in the mail today?  A subpoena to appear in court on October 25, 2011.  I have to be there at 8:30.  In the morning.  And stay there ALL day.  This is, of course, the same week that I have to pack and prep the house for a week-long trip to Vegas, Arizona, and LA for my brother's wedding.  I have to finish up stuff at work and get things in order there so it doesn't fall apart while I'm gone.  And oh, so much more.  So know I am taking a day off of work to go down to Fremont and deal with this.  Really?  November would have been so much better for me.

Peace fills the soul

Saturday night, Julie Beck (Relief Society General President) gave four firesides in our area.  My week had been hectic, the day had been hectic and stress-filled, there was a lot of craziness going on, and all I wanted was some peace and calming down.  Mentally, I needed it.  Two of Sister Beck's firesides were closer to me; Oakland and Fremont.  I wound up going to the one in San Jose due to some time constraints.  The Lord sends us to the places we need to be, to see the people who can help us the most, and listen to the words that were meant for us.  I received all of that at the Fireside in San Jose, in a variety of ways.  I am grateful for the Spirit of the Lord as it guides me in the direction I should go, and puts the people I need to hear from in my path.  It was a wonderful evening.  The Spirit filled the room and peace filled my heart and soul.  I am thankful for those moments of peace and love.