Sweet Southern Hospitality

"Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends."
[1cor13:7-8]


I have lived in Maryland for almost 10 years now and I have come to the conclusion that you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. Everything is so much better in the south. People are laid back, super kind, and if you don't say "yes ma'am" or "no sir" then you would get a talking to.

Growing up I have been blessed to have many adopted family friends. This particular story begins a very long time ago when my dad went to high school with this girl named Peggy. My parents started dating and mom and Peggy became very good friends. They been together through the good times, and the bad times. They been there for each other during moves and kids. Let's just say they are live long friends.

When I came along into this world, for some reason I "named" this family friend Mimi. At the time we were in Roanoke, she and her kids lived in West Virginia. They would visit often and I remember her youngest daughter Mandi would teach me how to do cartwheels down the hallway. We would also go on many adventures. We went to the Roanoke Express hockey games (which aren't in existence now) and mix popcorn with M&Ms and peanuts, and also went to several baseball games.

Fast forward to Christmas 2011. Mimi and her husband David had been living in Frederick, Maryland for quite some time. This particular year all of her kids and grandkids came to their house for Christmas. My parents and I went up one evening and we had dinner together and enjoyed each other's company and also played an intense game of Apples to Apples. This was the first time I met John. For the most part he seemed nice, and he was certainly one of those guys who wasn't afraid to be involved in the family activities.

To make a long story short, John and Mandi fell in love, got engaged, and just recently got married. We had the great privilege to drive 8 very long hours to a little mountain town called Banner Elk to participate in this exciting event. During non-wedding events my parents and I did some sight-seeing around town, but the wedding was one of the most thrilling parts, and the setting couldn't have been more perfect.

The wedding itself was small and cozy. There couldn't have been more than 60 people there. The ceremony was short, but that didn't stop a chorus of tears and sobs to happen. I don't think I have ever been to a wedding where there were so many sniffles holding back the tears. Even poor Mandi and John had trouble getting through their vows.

The wedding decorations were simple yet elegant and Mandi and John thought of everything. They had mason jar glasses for guests to take home as favors, toiletry items in the bathroom if guests needed them. They even had a fire specifically for roasting marshmellows and making s'mores.

 Besides everything being so perfect, the company couldn't have been better. For part of the evening they had a country band playing music, and my oh my did people's southern, country roots come out.

If something went wrong during the evening you wouldn't have known it. Mandi and John had smiles on their faces the entire night. They were calm, and nothing in the world could have ruined the moment.

Having adopted families is one of the best things someone could have. Of course your immediate family is the best thing you could have, but having those people in your life who are more than just friends and acquaintances, who will support you through your darkest storm, who love you just as much as your immediate family is an incredible blessing.

Panda, I am so incredibly blessed to be your little sister. Every day I thank God that He allowed our parents to meet so very long ago and that they became life-long friends. John, I know without a doubt that you are the right man for my sister. I am so happy that you are in our family and am excited to get to know you better - and taste more of your awesome cooking ;)