I had a flash of deja vu this weekend when the priest announced to the wedding guests, "May I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Tom Shallue"...
It helped that I was sitting in the pews, one of the wedding guests, instead of standing near the altar dressed in white. But still...it was a strange sensation.
It was a beautiful wedding, held inside the historic San Fernando Cathedral in downtown San Antonio. There's nothing like a wedding to remind you of those days when you first met and all the reasons why you decided to spend the rest of your life together (even if you have to sneak out to change a diaper like I did for my precious but stinky great-nephew...reminding me that I'm closer to my "Grandma" days than my "bride" days!)
The reception was in the Hyatt Regency hotel, fifteen minutes away by foot via the River Walk, all lit up for Christmas. Carolers serenaded us from passing boats, and even though it was crowded, it was still magical.
I'm grateful that all of my kids (including Kirby, Tommy's girlfriend) could go with us. It was fun getting out on the dancefloor with them, seeing them get to know cousins they haven't seen in almost a decade, watching them horse around with each other (and hearing Tom tell them to knock it off.)
One thing hasn't changed though...it seems no matter how old your kids get, they still manage to keep you up all night. Between talking, people coming in and out, phones ringing, worrying...I don't think I slept more than 4 hours and that was in thirty minute increments! (I have bags under my eyes so big I could pack enough for a week in Hawaii in them! Sleep is my priority this week!)
But I'm glad the latest Mr. and Mrs. Tom Shallue decided to get married in San Antonio so we could be a part of the celebration. It's hard to believe it's been 27 years since our priest turned to our wedding guests and said, "May I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Tom Shallue". That's been a pretty lucky label for us. For this new pair, I pray the years ahead of them are just as blessed. From what I've seen so far, I think they'll be just fine.
San Fernando Cathedral...the 'new' Mr. and Mrs. Tom Shallue...the 'old' Mr. and Mrs. Tom Shallue showing everyone how to 'Schottische'...glimpses of the River Walk
