T & D Dish Washing Service

They unloaded the top rack too, but Dorian had to stand on something to reach everything. This is now their daily chore... so far they enjoy it!

More Wedding Photos!

Thanks to Mindy and Jabari's camera and Brenda and Jay's sharing, we now have more pictures from Thomas and Randee's wedding... even pictures of Randee! Woo-hoo!

Thomas, Randee and the musician lady

Tristan and Thomas

Jabari and Thomas

Dorian on the stairs.

Thomas and Chris

Brenda, Mindy and Tristan (Thomas, Randee and Landry in the background)

Mindy and Jabari

Jabari, Brenda, Jay, Nick and Chris

Waiting and watching

Randee and her Dad walking down the aisle.

Thomas and Randee.

Re: Happy Re:Union

Another happy reunion of family members near and far occurred this month for the union of Uncle Thomas and now Aunt Randee in marriage. We got to see old friends and new friends over breakfast and over late night wine (and whine - our little cans were very sleepy by the time the wedding was over). Here are a few pictures we have. Hopefully, we'll get access to some of the professional photos soon, and I can share a few then too.

I took 3 pictures here, in one Thomas was looking up and no one else was, in the other two Thomas was looking down. So, I took the best photo of everyone else and photoshopped Thomas looking up into it. It's not bad, you can hardly tell. :)

Mmmmm, good breakfast.

Here's everybody outside. Sharon took the picture.

Grandma and Dorian on the swing.

Grandpa and Tristan playing roll the ball.

Our nice friend Sharon with PolkaDot the bun-bun.

At the Rose Garden, Cousin Nick was doing the Samson in chains knocking down the pillars on the Philistines.

At the zoo, Cousin Chris and Tristan tried on turtle shells.

One-Two-Three-Whee almost had Tristan upside down! His smile was HUGE too.

I wonder what that blur could be that Chris and Dorian are smiling at so broadly.

Oh, yes, and there was a wedding! How could we forget? Dorian thought they'd hire him as a wedding singer, but since his song was "No, no, no" (his favorite word), he didn't make it through the auditions. Better luck next time bud.

The wedding was simple, beautiful, elegant... none of which can be told with these pictures taken on a phone, but that's all we've got at the moment. You'll have to stay tuned.

Dorian and Mama Tiff at the beginning of the reception.

The room decor with a blurry father-of-the-groom in the center. The back of the bride's sister, the profile of the bride's mother and the back of the bride standing behind them are off in the lower left of the picture. I think that's the only picture of the bride we got... the only one I could find. :S

And here is the very handsome, very happy Groom. Uncle Thomas.

What Does Dorian Do in 100 Degree Weather?

He wears a hat!

At Aaron and Melissa's he did like the dogs and ducks and hit the water.

Then 2nd cousin Emily showed him the joy of bare feet in mud holes.

That's how they found the frog. The ducks wanted to eat it, but they weren't sure what Dorian would do to them, so they kept a little distance.

Relaxing in the AC with a giant comfy lady bug.

Checking out the granparents' garden with Uncle Aaron.

TV in AC with Cousin Schyler.

Swimming with Aunt Melissa.

Croquet with Aaron.

Waving to Grandma and Grandpa.

Swimming with Mama Tiff.

Swimming with Uncle Alex.

Learning something new.

Splashing Alex.

Good bye 100 degree weather!

Unhappy Reunion

Finally, our turn had come. Although we were the front row of the family section, we were the last ones to get a turn. The man directed me to go first since I was sitting on the end. I thought, "I'm going to go look at Pop in a casket now." I had no idea as I was walking toward him for the last time how the sight of him was going to affect me. I wondered if I would cry or smile. I wondered if he'd look strange or familiar.

I had just laughed with him a few months ago. So even though his aged face had some make-up on it, it wasn't a surprise to see. However, when my gaze fell upon his enormous hands folded across his stout mid-line, I was flooded. Those strong hands that held me as a baby and hugged me as an adult so many times and times between struck me so powerfully. So, I reached out and touched him. I laid my hand on top of his refrigerated hands. Even though they were so cold, they still felt like Pop. And as soon as I touched him I felt like a soaked wash rag that some one was wringing out with all their might. My stomach felt wrung. My chest felt tight. My head felt like a fishbowl. And I cried and cried.

Aaron was right behind me in line and laid his hand atop mine. Then Tyrone laid his hand on top of Aaron's. Then Alex put his over the top and we all four held Pop's hands and cried together. All this took place in a matter of minutes.

And then we walked away.

We walked away.

Away.

Sobbing.

Sobbing, we walked away from the man who taught us the value of hard work. The man who taught us how much more refreshing fun can be after earning it. The man who was always there if you needed him, but never seemed to need anything in return. The man who loved us like a father should have. The man who taught us that with a little wire and some pliers, you can fix just about anything, even a tear in your pants.

As we sat back down and cried together, a man who didn't know Pop tried to comfort us with prayer. He couldn't know that we weren't crying for Pop. We cried for ourselves, for our children and the world who will all miss out on anymore wisdom from one of the most eccentric, wise, entertaining and amazing men who ever walked barefoot on earth.