Upon Further Reflection

One of the frequent topics of conversation between Michelle and me recently has been what kind of school Toby might go to next year. Obviously we are huge proponents of the public school system, and though as a teacher Michelle isn't a fan of charter schools as a part of that system, there are certainly a few that are attractive to her as a parent, particularly language immersion schools. So she has bounced a few different ideas off of me in the past. Then out of the blue one day she asked me, what about a Catholic school? I paused briefly to sift through the mess of stereotypes and rumors I have been exposed to on the subject and decided I would probably rather not go that route, but if the school came highly recommended by people we trusted I wouldn't be completely opposed to the idea. Then, a few days later, we learned something about the school in question that caused Michelle to state flatly, "Well, he's not going to that school, that's for sure." What was it?

Turns out, the name of the sports teams of this particular Catholic school is, and I Am Not Making This Up, the Crusaders. Shudder.

North of the Border

This trip to Vancouver was one of our favourites (if I may use the Canadian spelling). We spent great time with family, had beautiful weather, and got to go to a fantastic wedding. One of the first things we did was get out for a walk with four generations represented.

Practice Makes Perfect

I didn't know this until I got married myself, but you have to rehearse for a wedding. Brianna's rehearsal was loose and fun...no fancy clothes, but the ladies do need to practice walking in those shoes!









Towards the end, some of the less involved rehearsers started finding ways to amuse themselves...and each other.

The Big Day

My sister's wedding was beautiful. We didn't take any pictures of the ceremony or the reception, but there will be plenty of those floating around and I plan to post my personal favourites later. For now, let me just say that I never imagined what it would be like to see my baby sister actually get married. The thought is nearly as foreign to me as the thought of Alicia one day getting married. I suppose it will happen, but I can't actually picture it.

So Brianna is a wife now. Mrs. Brianna Wood. What a ridiculous thought. I was eight years old when she was born. I can remember her learning to walk.

I didn't actually get to see much of the ceremony, because I was keeping my own daughter, who hasn't been walking that long either, entertained. Wasn't I just doing this with Brianna a few years ago? The beautiful woman in there in the long white dress?

I did get to enjoy the reception, of course, after dropping the kids off with a babysitter (Auntie Stacy rocks for finding us one!). It was great fun, hanging out with cousins who seem to get cooler and funnier every time I see them, and hearing Caleb's friends and parents praise his character, loyalty and sense of humor. But unlike most weddings I've been to, I didn't have to rely on the speeches to get a feel for what the "other" person getting married was like. I've gotten to know Caleb on the last couple trips, and I'm thrilled to have him in the family. He's a lot like my other brothers, very funny, extremely handsome, into movies big-time, and a worthy opponent at Lord of the Rings Risk. But mainly, I'm just excited that Brianna will have such a great guy, because she deserves it for being the incredible person that she is.

Taking Pictures

Between the ceremony and the reception, the families and wedding party adjourned to the beautiful Historic Stewart Farm (where I'm told they grew some great Stewarts back in the day) for an epic photo shoot. Toby and Alicia were looking good.



But then, so were the happy couple...




It was a long afternoon with a lot of standing around in warm outfits, but we found ways to pass the time.









Toby took this picture.