They Did It!

My sister got married over the weekend to the man she'd been dating for four years. Four years. It took that long partly due to some immature friends of theirs and advice they were given -- advice that began with the phrase "God told me ..." ... Not a good thing. If I would have listened every time I heard a "God told me ..." I would be a very unhappy girl at this point. And married to one of the geeks to whom God 'told' that I should be married. Interesting.

But I digress.

They sorted out the truth for themselves and I have never seen either of them so radiant. My sis made a stunning bride and left everyone there speechless with her glowing beauty. I was so proud of her -- I think any pictures of me walking down the aisle in the ceremony will have me with the most peculiar expression on my face -- I wanted to burst out into nervous and excited maniacal laughter, and to also burst into tears at the wonderful-ness of the day and the beauty of my all-grown-up sister). The wedding and reception passed without any disasters (except for a few blistery feet and our sperm donor who seems to always want these events to be about him -- neither of which affected the mood of the day in the end) ...

I was lucky to be the Matron of Honor. I was pretty nervous about my speech, but when I got up there it was all fine ... Here's my speech:

Good Evening! For those of you who don't know me, I am Anika, the very proud big sister of this hot little Bride. I want to first say congratulations to Carly and Nathaniel, and thank you to everyone who is here sharing this day.

I remember the day Carly told me she was starting to like Nathaniel. I hadn't met him yet, and I mistakenly thought Carly was talking about a different guy. She asked me what I thought and I told her that he was ok, I guess, but he was too boring for her. We quickly sorted out the mistake and I supported their relationship wholeheartedly since. At our reception when Carly caught the bouquet and Than caught the garter, I knew it was only a matter of time.

Carly, I loved you from the day you were born. I was proud of my little baby sister. When mom was feeding you, I'd be right beside, breast feeding my doll. I was protective of you -- I remember when we were at the babysitters and you had gotten hurt -- by accident -- by another little girl there, and I solemnly recommended to the babysitter that the other girl be given a spank immediately.

So here you are all grown up and getting married. You no longer bark out the car window at passers by. You no longer have mosquito bites. You no longer wear two pairs of underwear to trick mom. You no longer eat globs of butter. You no longer roll up the car window on your arm because you were holding your Barbie outside so that she could fly. You are no longer a fashion disaster. You no longer eat peanut butter and ketchup sandwiches. You no longer make loud and annoying noises to embarrass mom when she's on the phone. And we no longer fight like crazy. You have grown up to be a beautiful young woman and I am so proud of you.

Barbara Alpert said this about sisters: "She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, and someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark."

Carly, I am so glad that we have grown to be such great friends. I feel sad that we wasted so much time not getting along, but I'm excited that we are making up for lost time. You are always a good listener and have been there with me through some great times and some not so great times. You are understanding and kind -- I love the talks we have. You are one of the funniest people I know. I appreciate the way you love your nephews and always take time to hang out with them. You are an amazing auntie to my kids and they both love you so much. Carly, you will always be my Monster, my pee-low, and my Snark Trotter. Laloo..

Thaaaaaaan -- Here are some things that are very important to know about my sister: when she gets up, she needs coffee -- coffeemate and a LOT of sugar. When she's frustrated, she'll crack her toes. When she's excited, she'll go like this: asl;fhpogfilauh! Anything else, she'll be biting her nails. Also, she's deathly afraid of ET. Finally, Than, welcome to our crazy little family.

Cheers!