The wedding is over and the thank you’s have just been mailed.  I had tunnel vision to that date making sure all the details were perfect.  They were.  From the dinner the night before thrown by wonderful friends to the day of it was amazing.  My girlfriends surrounded me, laughed with me, poured a mid afternoon mimosa and made sure I was in that dress perfectly…….

 

and then it was go time….I got to see the kids first…..

 

Then it was show time…

 

It was the most beautiful day…

in the most perfect shoes…..have I mentioned how much I loved my shoes.  More to come on that..

and I got photo-bombed by a seagull

and we got married…

 

Thanks to Dream Beach Weddings for these photos.  We cannot wait to see the rest!

My brother got these candid moments on my camera and so glad he did…..

 

I will share our vows (with John’s permission)…his were so beautiful and were very hard to follow…not a dry eye in the house.

“Tracy, before we met my family went through a tragedy.  We lost an incredible woman, mother, wife, companion, and friend and when that happens you don’t know if the sun will come up the next day but it did, and you don’t know how to move forward but you do.  And then you wonder if you will ever find love  again.  Then along came Hurricane Weinzapfel.  I never knew what hit me.  Through your kindness, warmth, and caring you showed me that it was indeed possible to have it all again.  My family is very fortunate today we are gaining an incredible woman, mother, wife, companion and my best friend.  It is my intent to not only tell you that I love you every day but to show you. Tracy, I look foward to what life has in store for us and I will be by your side as your partner as we wald down this path together. I love you.”

My turn:

John, today I take my sole proprietor status and officially move forward in a partnership.  I am proud from this day forth to be the CEO of this company we call family.  I could not be more happy to have you as my partner, my best friend, my protector, my rock, my comedian, my shoulder to cry on and sleep on.  The love of my life.  Everything is better with you by my side and has been since the day we met.  You  have stepped up for me and the kids. I promise to continue doing the same for you and Hunter.  Your happiness is important to me.  Having you want to come home to me, the chaos, and the home we build together is my priority.  Thank you for choosing me to be  your partner for life.  One year ago I sent out the last best wink of my life and never knew how my life would change for the better  Through phone calls, texts and that over-the-time-limit first date that you remind me I was 7 minutes late it has only gotten better. You broke every one of my silly rules.  I love you more than words can express and promise to uphold my end of the partnership.  I love you.”

and then we had the most amazing reception with our friends and family…it sure felt great to let my hair down and celebrate.

 

so on this day I conclude the Mad Musings of a Bride.  I now carry on as wife and mother……..but the shoes are a constant reminder of that day.

always count your blessings, but don’t forget to make your blessings count too.  There’s no good reason why you must settle for anything less than the very best life has to offer.  Start now by sincerely appreciating the things you have and making the most of them.  Happiness and success in life are not the byproducts of limitless resources.  Happiness and success stem from stretching the limits of the available resources.”