Something pretty darn great happened last spring and I don’t know too many people who can say this, but we had a surprise wedding!  My daughter, who has always kept us on our toes has 4 beautiful children and the love of her life is a man of few words, he is quiet, reserved and is a perfect match for our girly girl tomboy daughter!  He is not one for big showy things and neither is my daughter (let me tell you, she’s come a long way from her teen years)!

Anyhow, she was expecting her fourth (her 2 sweet boys are from a previous relationship) and she had 1 little doll with her then fiancé and was expecting her 4^th in less than a month.  Because we hadn’t had a family photo done for quite some time, we decided that we needed to do one, so we picked a date and told our son from Vancouver that we needed him here for the photos.  But apparently, I wasn’t cooperating with what to wear for the shoot (I wanted to wear a cute dress and my cowboy boots). So, about 2 weeks before the “photo shoot”, my daughter took me into my closet and asked to see what I wanted to wear.  I showed her and she picked out another dress and said mom……this would be a better choice for a wedding.  I looked at her with shock and immediately broke out in tears.  I can’t explain the joy I felt for her because she had found her soulmate and was so ready to marry him.  I knew this day would come eventually but they didn’t seem to be in too much of a hurry so I didn’t expect this shocking news.  My daughter is one of the most giving and caring people I know but sometimes that has led her to be taken advantage of and after all the happiness she brings into other people’s lives all I have ever wanted is for her to have that same happiness for herself.

But, I needed details………..she told me that she couldn’t keep it from me anymore because she just didn’t feel right about planning it without me (although she had most things done, but there were a few things I could help with.)  She had already bought a dress and was having it remade, after all she was 9 months pregnant and wedding dresses usually aren’t made with pregnant women in mind.  They had been planning this for the past 6 months, 6 months?  Are you kidding me?  I love my daughter, but she has NEVER been able to keep a secret for longer than 6 minutes let alone 6 months so to say I was surprised by this revelation was an understatement!  And then to find both my other daughter AND my husband who we call “Honest Larry, known all over the Caribou”, had kept this secret for months, well I was floored!  At least I could say that I wasn’t the last to know, her brother and his sisters were the last!

The day happened with only a handful of guests (immediate family) and was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been too.  To witness this quiet, reserved man go totally out of his comfort zone in front of others and commit himself to our daughter just melted our hearts. From the beautiful release of a balloon for those special family members who weren’t with us anymore to the rustic simplicity that they love, it was perfect and fit them to a tee.  This surprise wedding happened just 10 days before their sweet Gracie was born and their little family is now complete!  Oh yes, they added yet one more to their brood – Dixie, a chocolate lab who fits right in with all the craziness!  THAT is a house full of love, which is exactly what we all want for our children, isn’t it?