Nuggets of Joy

I love reasons to celebrate.  Reasons to strap on my funky heels, swipe on my favorite lip gloss, and put on massive earrings.  Reasons to spritz on perfume and break out the smokey eye.  To toast to life and love with golden glasses bubbling with champagne.  To bust a move with good friends, laugh at old memories, and etch new ones into our hearts that will last a lifetime.

One of my dearest and sweetest friends, Jackey, got married, and gave us good reason to celebrate.  To fight back tears as she gracefully walked down the isle.  To applaud joyfully as she became Mrs. Terpak.  To hug tightly and congratulate sincerely, because no one believes more deeply in true love, or deserves boundless happiness more than Jackey.

 

And to spend the evening talking, laughing, singing and dancing along side another one of my dearest and sweetest friends, Rachel, well I couldn't ask for more.   We laughed heartily as we reminisced the good ol' days.  Times like when the three of us got pulled over but didn't realize that the cop was behind us for at least a mile because we were belting out Free Falling so loudly we couldn't hear the siren.  Or the time we had to make an impromptu emergency visit to the Nitney Mall hours before Rachel's wedding because a certain maid-of-honor forgot to pack underwear.

 

Someday we will look back at Jackey's wedding day and laugh heartily over stories like how we wisely positioned ourselves not only right next to the bar, and the table with the stationary hors d'oeuvres, but right where the waiter came out with each new tray of passed appetizers.  And how he always came to us first because he knew we were a sure bet to sample everything he had to offer.  How he left each tray with the leftover appetizers right next to us, and how we usually polished it off.  I'll never forget how, when the waiter didn't know how to describe a particular appetizer, Rachel's husband Dom named them "Nuggets of Joy" and how we overheard the waiter telling guests further down "Big man at the end calls these here nuggets of joy".  There were no nuggets of joy leftover for us to snag.  We'll laugh about the Portuguese priest who hijacked the speaker system and interrupted AJ's toast.  And about how we belted out Mr. Big's To Be With You like the true divas we are, never missing a high note, or backup chorus.

Yep, I managed to capture all three with the same priceless expression confirming that we did, in fact, stuff our faces.

The day was amazing and the bride was beautiful. It was the perfect day for the perfect wedding and celebrate we did.  We danced until the music ended and went home to collapse into bed with one of those satisfied sighs that says "Ahhh...that was good."  Thank you Jackey and Chris for letting us be a part of your day.  We wish for you a lifetime of true love, and laughter, and boundless happiness! A lifetime absolutely littered with nuggets of joy!