Two weekends ago I flew by myself down to Chicago for my friend Jeff's wedding. Brad and I decided we just couldn't take Atticus on a 7-hour car ride down and back for a two day weekend. So I found a $70 round-trip ticket for just Saturday and left on the 7 am flight and got back to Minneapolis at 8 pm. I had a wonderful day, writing and reading on the airplane and meeting up with my cousin and dear friend Lisa and my newest cousin, Ellie, before the noon wedding. We met up in Wheaton at a cafe we both like down the street from the church. Then after a couple hours of chatting for a our rare face-to-face (-: I left for the wedding. It was beautiful and Christ-centered, full of hymns that Jeff (and I assume Emily (-:) love so well in the formal white and pale blue Christ Church on the edge of Wheaton College. As with most weddings, my contact with the bride and groom was them letting us out of our pews, but I was able to give them both a hug. This wedding is such a happy event for me in so many ways -- Jeff was one of the groomsmen in Brad and my wedding because he and Lisa really have been two of the closest friends I've ever had -- heart-wise. I've known Jeff needed a wife to love and care for and balance him for such a long time. But he is so zealous to make himself fully available to God in every way that it was a difficult decision for him to know that his heart and time would be divided if he married. Jeff has one of the tenderest and humblest hearts I have ever had the honor of knowing. The years of phone calling -- the prayers and confessions and relating of our spiritual desires and pleasures and struggles have forever changed me. AND it is such a gift to have one friend to call up and wish a Happy Reformation Day! and sing A Mighty Fortress is our God together every October 31st when the rest of the "normal" world is dressing up for Halloween trick-or-treating. I know I am a nerd, but it's nice to know someone else to share in my love of church history and theology and hymns. So there you go, guys, I happily and gleefully "give up" my friend to Emily to love and care about and pray with him. It feels the same as having my two brothers marry such wonderful women as Lindsey and Robyn, knowing someone is there beside them caring about my brother in ways and depths that I've longed for them their entire lives. Aaahhh...thank you, God.
My friend and erstwhile roommate, Anna Englert, with her now not-so-mysterious (-: boyfriend Phillip. I was so happy to be able to sit with them at the reception, wanting to meet this guy for months now. I hope he deserves her (-: -- he is definitely cute, witty, and congenial enough to "fit" her!
I made it back to Minneapolis without incident (because of course, we now have an emergency cell phone (-:). Brad and Atticus had a wonderful day together -- ever since Atticus is more in love and fascination with his daddy than ever before. He squeals and dances with delight the minute he sees his daddy walking up the sidewalk home from work and spends the evening climbing all over Brad or sitting in his lap. As an added silly fun thing, the rental company gave me an electric blue Chrysler Sebring convertible to drive for the day. My first time driving a convertible -- and on a completely clear, sunny 90-degree Chicago day. One day away from the boys was good but enough. (-:
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