It’s been a while since I have written a blog post and this week, I was challenged by a few different people about that.  Some were friends.  Some were strangers who have been reading.  What happened to us?  What happened to our story?  And I realized that we have settled into our life here and now it feels normal.  Just normal. And I forgot that there’s nothing normal about what we do here, and I need to continue to share it all.  Not because you particularly need to hear it – but because I need to tell it.   To stay in the moment, experiencing the wonder of it all every day.

What could be a better story to share for my big return than a wedding story.  Everyone loves to see a bride and a groom on their big day, and we had a wedding right outside our door this week.  An impromptu wedding and honestly, while the bride looked beautiful, the groom didn’t look all that impressed.

It all started with our neighbor named Brittany who lives 3 doors down.  She’s around 8 or 9 and although she doesn’t’ speak English, we have lots of conversations and laughs together.  Every few days she comes over to take Nacho for a walk with her dog Luna.  Apparently on one of those walks, Nacho and Luna fell in love and Brittany decided it was time to formalize the relationship.

A few days ago, we came home to find a note shoved under our door.  The note (translated) said: “Hi, I am Luna.  Nacho, tomorrow you will marry me.  I love you.  Please wear a suit.  At 1:00.  It will be at your house.”  Enclosed with the note was a red and white bow tie.  To go with the suit, I suppose.

Unfortunately, fate was not on the side of the betrothed.  The next day the skies opened and for 3 days it rained.  There was no wedding.  But on Day 4 the sun came out and the doorbell rang.  Luna was standing there in her lovely white wedding dress and her flower girl Brittany was carrying a bouquet of yellow sunflowers.  It was time and I quickly tied the red and white tie on Nacho.  After 3 days of rain, his white tuxedo coat was a mess, but Luna didn’t seem to mind.

The wedding was short – the groom easily distracted by nearby tires.  A quick sniff of the butt instead of a kiss.  But Brittany thought it was perfect and we laughed a LOT as Luna kept tripping on her dress in her excitement.

So no, there’s nothing normal about our life here.  Up north, I never would have taken time on a Thursday afternoon for a dog wedding with a tiny neighbor who didn’t care that I speak a different language than her.   I wouldn’t have spent this morning on my hands and knees drawing chalk art with children from hard places.  I wouldn’t be listening to a DEAFENING mariachi band outside my front door while I write a blog story about what it means to live our normal life.   And just maybe I wouldn’t be this happy!