Dear friends and family--here is what's on the docket:
Jackson Turns 4!
Dianna gets married!
10 year high school reunion!
BCG Atlanta here we come!
Record breaking month in terms of events/craziness! So sorry for the delay--I don't think we have ever been this late.
To start, our little man turned 4! As you can see his 'Padres' cake was spectacular (at least to Jackson). We actually got to see the lady at the grocery store decorate it, much to Jackson's delight. And it was huge, good thing, as jack had 70 guests! The party had all the 4 y.o. essentials--a pinata (gigantic baseball of course), games, goody bags, and even a treasure hunt in the sand (ring pops) to win over even the toughest preschool critics.
Before guest arrived.
Next to his best buddy Oliver.
Classic Duck Duck Goose!
Then 2 weeks later, the moment that all of us Douglas's have been praying for, finally came to fruition. Dianna got married! And not just to anybody! David Burk is a handsome, charming, smart (Stanford, now Econ PhD at the University of Chicago), kind, MORMON! Everyone couldn't be happier--especially the bride's parents.
The weekend was a blast, mainly because we were kid-free! The rehearsal dinner was a hoot--vegetarian/Chinese cuisine, a T-bone shaped cake, and lots of memorable roasts/toasts. Then it was right to bed, but not before a quick lingerie/sex education shower! On Saturday morning we headed to the DC temple for the sealing/marriage. The Spirit was strong, and the sealer spoke about how there are no coincidences in life and that these two were destined to be together. It was powerful to see David and Dianna knelt across the alter committing themselves to each other for eternity.
After lots of pictures and an afternoon nap at the hotel, it was time to party! The reception was incredible--ate the Congressional Country Club. Some Jewish wedding customs were observed that were neat for the guests and special for the father of the groom. The food was exquisite, the band was fabulous, and the couple truly seemed to glow. My favorite part was the father's blessing that John gave the new couple.
As an added bonus to the weekend, I, along with Becky were privileged to escort Jolanta through the temple for the first time. She was amazingly unphased, perhaps the result of being the 9th Douglas sibling to go through the temple. Also, in addition to getting to meet baby Derek for the first time, I also go to catch up with close friend and former bridesmaid, Elizabeth Melnikof. These things combined wit the fact that I got to eat at Potbellies twice made the weekend a perfect 10. (Unfortunately at the rehearsal dinner, we realized our camera was broke, so a lot of important moments have been missed, and we have been hounding others for pictures)
The last weekend in October kept pace in terms of excitement of the previous 3 weekends. I had been anxiously awaiting our 10 year high school reunion and it went off without a hitch! It really was a blast. On Friday night of homecoming weekend, the Class of 2000 mingled in one of the new buildings a GAC, enjoying food catered completely free of charge by Chris Maddox's mom. The kids were a hit, and we were surprised at how many people had kids. Even a few favorite teachers swung by which was great. Then we all wandered over to the football game to see our Spartans crush some poor school that barely had enough players to form a team.
Then on Saturday after a delicious girls only brunch (thanks Susans!), it was the adults only night at a bar downtown. Even more people came this night. It was so fun to catch up, and reconnect. I loved high school, and now I remember why! Our class was inclusive and tight then, and we continue to be so now--we had the strongest turnout GACS has had in years! If you didn't make it, we missed you and want you there next time!
Towards the end of the night, things got pretty tipsy--and by the very end a lot of us were dancing. It probably was especially fun for us, because neither Scott nor I could remember the last time we went to a club/bar. With Mayer by my side, I felt like I was back at Vandy!
Then to top off this month, we got wonderful news. After being disappointed with Scott's raise, recognition, and the current challenge of ProFlowers, he reached out to BCG--a consulting firm that we erroneously turned down for the dreadful :) McKinsey during business school. Fortunately they didn't hold a grudge, and invited him to come interview. He prepared for a couple of weeks, practicing cases almost nightly with his dad, interviewed, gave himself a score of 93%, and then we left it in the Lord's hands. That Friday evening (reunion), BCG called with the good news, saying that "We loved you 2 years ago, and we love you now." We were ecstatic! But nobody was happier than my parents.
We feel extremely blessed. I had made this a matter of person prayer about a week before this all started coming together, and I was reminded once again of the Lord's mindfulness of his children and that he does answer prayers.
Everything just happened so fast. We are moving to Atlanta on Nov 18!
While we were in Atlanta, my parents were wonderful hosts and even took us to the lake to wakeboard. We kept saying, "Wow, I forgot how beautiful Georgia is." There is a lot we will miss about San Diego, but watch out ATL here we come!!
Love,
TFK
