Olympia

"So, how was the trip?", you ask. Or, you don't. Either way you are going to hear about it because I feel like I have to write about it before we move on to other exciting topics. Zeca and MiguelMiguel's lip thing was not something that could be cured in 24 hours so it was visible on the day of the wedding. I was still struggling to accept the imperfection when, five minutes before we left the hotel for the wedding, Miguel hit his chin on the counter of the sink and bit his lip. We were already a bit late for the pictures so we rushed him to the car holding a washcloth to his face to prevent blood from dripping on his dress shirt. I had spent all of those hours worrying about the little blister on his lip and he ended up with a bloody lip anyway. Control is simply an illusion when children are involved. Zeca's cold improved and she was able to breathe through her mouth. She was also able to get up at 5 a.m. every single morning which has nothing to do with her cold but was annoying enough to mention nonetheless.

Miguel and Zeca dancingLuisa and I are fairly shy and quiet. The kids? Not so much. Miguel and Zeca are loud and they talk to every single person they see. By the time we boarded the plane in Minneapolis, the entire flight crew and many of the passengers knew them by name. Luisa and I kept exchanging the same look, the look that said, "Oh please...please make them stop talking!" This was just the beginning. They talked all the way to Olympia. They talked to all of the staff at the hotel. They talked to random people on the waterfront and to every vendor at the Farmers' Market. They worked the room at the rehearsal dinner like they were the bride and groom themselves. They greeted guests at the wedding and danced the night away. I learned something very valuable on the trip. I learned that alcohol was made for the introverted parents of extroverted children. Unfortunately, beer never sounds good to me in the morning.

So, overall, the trip was good. Sure, there were tears and blood and a brief period of time when Luisa and I were nearly blind due to some weird reaction to the chlorine in the pool but we all survived. The wedding was beautiful and we have some very good memories. That's what matters...

Luisa and the kidsVikki and the kids