And the Year Begins....

September 5, 2009. Officially one year away until the wedding. It's a beautiful, warm, sunny day- not typical of the summer this year, or the "summer that wasn't" as I would call it.

Practically everything is done. The hall is booked, the DJ is booked, the photographer and videographer are booked. The dress is picked. We bought the shoes, which is no small feat when the bride's feet are so small- a size 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 and most shoes start at a size 6.

All we have to do is save and wait and wish...

We wish for a day as beautiful as today. It would be perfect and they could have their ceremony outdoors as they hoped for, with the Great South Bay as a backdrop, under a cloudless blue sky. I try to imagine a year from now and I get tense with anticipation. I let my imagination take over and I can see Lindsay, joyful and glowing. I can see Scott, handsome as ever, smiling under the chuppah. I can see my mom, walking down the aisle, on the arm of my nephew, Max, proudly escorting her with a great sense of purpose. I can see Mark and I besides Lindsay, choking on our emotions. In a year...

So, what do I do today, when it's a year away? I spend the day with my three children because that's what it is now. Scott reminds me more and more of my dad as he shuts all the light switches off in my house and then lectures me on how I should look at my electric bill every month to see the difference in charges when I do that. And I say out loud, "My dad must be channeling me through Scott." Then Lindsay decides to take me shoe-shopping again because she found another pair of shoes, less expensive and she thinks better than the ones we bought at another store, with 20% off. As a matter of fact, the ones we bought, originally, are 20% off in the other store. We drive to Westbury to see the shoes. Lindsay still isn't sure. The new ones she finds are not as comfortable. I tell her, "They must be comfortable." Scott is very patient. We call the original store in Massapequa- they will honor the 20% discount. So, we drive from Westbury to Massapequa. Lindsay and Scott are so cute. They call each other "Babe".

"What do you think, Babe?"

"Whatever you want, Babe."

It's Babe, this, Babe, that.

When we get to the shoe store in Massapequa, I notice a little corner in the store that has shoes marked down 50% in different sizes. I find two in a size 5 1/2. I bring them to her. She loves them. She tries them on- very comfortable. But she can't make up her mind. What shall we do? Simple. We returned the original pair and bought the other two and still got a refund of almost $10. We're all happy. Lindsay has two pair of shoes. I saved $10 and Scott doesn't have to watch "Babe" try on any more shoes. It's a good day; a good sign.

We go food shopping with Babe and Babe. Kimberly is getting nauseous with the "Babe" and "Babe" thing. Lindsay turns to Scott and says, "Babe, it's a wonderful day and we're getting married a year from today!!"

And Scott turns and says, "Tomorrow will be even better because it will be less than a year."

...awwww.

364 days and counting down.