welcome to the family

Friday, August 3, 2007

The past few days since our return it has been interesting reflecting on the brevity of everything swirling around our lives. It has been a time of tremendous transition and incredible adjustment. Our apartment has been turned completely upside down and nothing seems to roll to the same old tune in which it used to. Everything has a new song to it, a different rhythm, a different beat. Its fun, exciting and overwhelming in the same breath. I have been glancing through photos of our wedding day and realizing that I was at a completely different event. Not really, but I think you can catch my drift. Its amazing how looking back on the photos can help you piece it all together through the chaos.

I have also been thinking a lot about how Shelli and I form our family. In one hand we are clinging to that which has most made us... us: our families. It is amazing how God molds us through our families. Their love, support and encouragement has brought us here. We carry with us traditions, methods and habits that we received from our families that we want to pass to our own family. One the other hand we are doing just that; creating our own family. One that is uniquely us (despite sharing a last name with several thousand people). In the midst of all this we are also both being welcomed into new families, Shelli into mine, and I into hers. Each side becomes part of our family as much as we are part of each. This really is a beautiful experience to go through, it carries plenty of adaptation requirements, but it has been fun to become part of Shelli's family, to see her become part of mine, and to meld our own family from each.

One the topic of where we come from here is Shelli and her Mom, Pam...




me and my Dad, John...


...welcome to the family!


I will leave you, as I promised with some fun photos and commentary from our spectacular honeymoon!


Starting with Royal Carribean's own private Island in the Bahamas: 'Cococay'. Where we went sea kayaking, snorkeling and dined on sand dollars...


Followed by the unforgettable Nassau, Bahamas

Where we built our very first home... which is no longer standing...


And this is how we funded our honeymoon...


We return to the cruise ship for Dancing...


And towel animals. This is Ellie...


Back to land, and the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral where I discovered I can never be an astronaut (I know what your all thinking, but no, its because I'm too tall smarty pants!)


We did however meet an astronaut...


And of course, just like everywhere else we went, played in the water...


The next day we got rolling and.. you guessed it, went and played in the water! Body boarding in Cocoa Beach:



And the Ron Jon Surf Shop...


Oh, and did I forget to mention the Manatee Park?


"I'm a Sea Cow... I live in the Oshun"

2 comments:

Taylor said...

Kelly and Shelli! You guys look great and so happy. I'm so happy for you too! I just got back to the US of A a couple of days ago and got your invitation then. I felt cared for getting one. Thank you! So congratulations again and I'm glad for this blog where I can keep track of you guys. Much love, Taylor

Kali said...

Miss Shelli makes friends so well everywhere she goes, from the towel elephants, to manates, and space astronaunts. Kelly, did she try to take any of her new friends home, I could see the manate is your guys' living room, it would be fabulous.