I got a new sister! Bubba managed to snag the cutest, tiniest, sweetest Filipina ever made and the two just said I do.
To be a part of the festivities, the Griswolds went international. To the Phillipines this time. Where we rode tiny horses led by tiny guides to the top of a volcano. It was not at all awkward.
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| The Thomases. Have you ever seen a group who loves getting their photo taken more than this crew? |
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| I know. That poor horse. I'm sorry. |
Luckily, Lee had arranged everything for us at a gorgeous hotel so we didn't have to expose too much of ourselves to these delightful tiny people. The wedding, the food, the hair and makeup, the transportation... it was all arranged and accessible through a beautiful resort. We helped Shahin practice swimming and sat on the patio drinking cold beers and chatting with Bubba's army buddies. It was actually a vacation disguised as a wedding. My favorite kind of wedding.
One the big day, we all got gussied up and tried not to let the humidity melt us. The boys wore suits with pink ties and were adorable. Laila wore a long pink bridesmaid dress and was regal. Tom even brought out some dapper, finishing off his look that ageless arm jewelry named Shahin.
The wedding was a little strange. Lovely, but strange. Lee was stunning in her gown, but she was entirely covered by a veil, which made me keep thinking she was being caught in a net. I think it was a Catholic-ish service, but there wasn't kneeling or communion or anything. There was a part where Scott had to put a rope around Lee's and Bubba's necks, which was supposed to be a metaphor for being united but which had strangling undertones. Even with the quirks, it was tender and special and Bubba and Lee got married. And I got a new sister, a cua, if you will.
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| Look at that proud momma and her distinguished son in uniform. |
The reception was just on the other side of the hill overlooking a pond. Bubba's army buddies danced until their shirts were soaked, and because there was music, Shahin, of course, jumped right in with them. Laila and I stood around feeling not at all awkward. Luckily, I'm old enough to drink whiskey, so I got to look busy doing that.
Lee and Bubba treated us to a video montage of engagement photos and getting ready for the wedding clips. It was hilarious. They did a lot of the same stuff they do in American wedding receptions, but they had an emcee in addition to a DJ. When it came time to toss the bouquet, the emcee said, in an almost robot voice, "Perhaps you have heard of the running of the bulls. Watch out, as now the single ladies will try to catch the bouquet." I don't know why, but that cracked me up. I also cracked up about these giant king and queen chairs for Lee and Bubba to sit in. We also ended up sitting at some head table but we couldn't find our names. I ended up being Lanie and Mack was Bibelots. Bibelots. Hilarious, right?
It has been such a treat to watch Bubba evolve from a teenager into a man. When Mack and I were about a year or two into dating, Bubba came and stayed with us for a few weeks and worked at the cable company with Mack. They both had buzzed heads and worked long, hot days. Bubba was frenetic, hilarious, amped, never stopping. That frequency propelled him to flight school, to Texas for a career as a private pilot, to the Army, to helicopter training, to a fixed wing program, to being stationed in the South Korea and the Philippines. Now that he has Lee, he seems more settled, more at ease, and it is so wonderful to see him so happy. I can't wait to watch him as he evolves into a husband, a dad, a grandpa, and I am so excited to have a new sister to love and laugh with.
