Wedding weekend

Mom and Dave got married on 12/16/2006. It was a lot of fun. On Friday we got everything ready for the BBQ dinner that night. The whole family was there. Brian and Michelle cooked the brisket and beans. It was great. I said a little speech and cried the whole time. It was just some stuff on my mind. It went alittle like this:
My mom has not been this happy in years. They are very blessed to have each other. I told mom that I would like to say a few things. I will start out talking about my mom. She is a strong and courageous woman. I have a great deal of respect for her. She raised two children on her own. She is strong and selfless. She taught us to love each other and stand together as a family. She worked hard and we played harder. I have wonderful memories of the times the 3 of us spent together. We went to single parent retreats, on vacations, or maybe just stayed home and played games. We participated in girl scouts, boy scouts, softball, and little league. She taught us to love the Lord and be Christians. She is an amazing woman. She has always been there for us. I love you.
I know that Jody and I have been through different trials and circumstances than Justin, Jeff, and Jessica. Jessica and I have occasions to talk, and I know we are all excited to see our parents so happy and in love.
My family unit that was three for so long has definitely grown and tomorrow will greatly increase again. Before that, I would like to tell ya’ll a little about my family through the years and what they mean to me. My family welcomes everyone. So just know, you are all now Collins’s. What does that mean you may be thinking? Let me tell you.
My father died when I was three and Jody was a baby. I had an amazing group of men in my life that tried to fill a small part of that gap in our lives.
I will start with my 2 amazing grandfathers. From them, I learned to drive. Scary I know! I learned to change a tire, play cards, love unconditionally, and work hard. Papa was the backbone of our family. He worked hard and played hard. He never backed down from playing with his kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. I think all of us learned an amazing work ethic from him. He told us to be proud of whatever job we did and do our best. It does not matter if you are picking up garbage or a brain surgeon, you should have the same pride in your work. My granddaddy baptized me. He taught me to love the Lord and love myself. Both of my grandfathers have been an amazing part of my life.
Next, I have the best uncles in the world. I don’t even know where to start. They definitely did dad duty with Jody and me. I am not sure if they realize what they have done for us and what they mean to me. It was the little things through the years that have meant so much. Uncle Charles was the first person I spent the night with. We got attacked by dogs! I could not get on the car. It was a nightmare. He and Brandon took Leah and me to father daughter camp! It was the best camp. You get all of the attention from the councilors when your dad is their age and a hottie. Yes, that was Brandon ! Uncle Charles and Uncle Dennis took us hunting and helped us raise pigs. I have great memories of walking our pigs around the block with Suzie (Uncle Dennis and Aunt Sue’s Boxer) Uncle Frank taught me to ride a bike and fish. I fished all day in a tube with him. I did not catch one fish, but he did! Uncle Eddie is always there for me. When I was in college he and Aunt Norma would show up for the night. Take me to dinner and the grocery store. You know when you are in college you don’t get to eat out much. Uncle Steve has always made a point to be in mine and Jody’s life. He is always full of great stories, but, most importantly he has helped to give us insight about our dad and his life and his love for us. Uncle Mike, oh, where do I begin? Well, we have come a long way from him knocking me out with pillows. He and Carla are 2 of our best friend’s. I truly adore both of them. They are a constant in our lives.
Okay, I have a ton of cousins. We lived down the road from Clay, Mike, and Michelle for a long time. I think that Clay and Michael helped Jody to be a boy and grow into a man. They taught him to fight, get dirty, burp loud and all of the other stuff that guys do. We already talked about father daughter camp with Brandon . We spent a lot of time with our cousins growing up, every Christmas morning for years, Thanksgiving and Trick or treating. . I love all of them very much and love all of the memories we have.
My family as a whole is amazing. We went on vacations, camping and hiking. We had great times. We still play any chance we get to get together. It may be a game that we have made up. If it is, you can bet that it is fun. I cherish those times.
My family has always opened the door to new members. It is like they have always been here. So, now you know what it is like to be a Collin’s. Also know, that you are all now a member!
Well, now that you have all heard about the Collins bunch I hope, Dave, you and your family still want to be a part of it. Dave, thank you for coming into our lives and filling a void in our mom’s. I love you. I am so proud to have a step dad and for my step dad to be you. I am ecstatic to have 2 nephews and new brothers and a sister. It is a wonderful day! Thank you!
After we all got through crying we went back to mom's and practiced on hair for the next day. We rolled the girls hair with sponge rollers. We laughed and had a great time. On Saturday morning we got up early and got ready. Michelle fixed mom, Bri, and Vannahs hair. They were all beautiful. The wedding was perfect. Everything was wonderful. The kids did great. Vannah raised her dress up, waved at everyone, and laid down on the stairs. It was so funny and cute. The reception was great. Mom made the cake. The grooms table had cookies and milk. It was amazing. The ladies from my mom's church were great. They would not let us clean much or do any work. They are wonderful. There were 3 other county treasurers there. Mom was excited about that. When mom and Dave left we all through rice and some people, no names mentioned, through yellow smiley face ping pong balls. It was really funny. We all had an amazing weekend.