The words we live by

So many people have asked us where we got the script for our wedding ceremony, and I love telling people that we wrote the majority of it ourselves.  We've had several people ask us if we can use all or part of it for their own ceremony, and I could think of no higher compliment.  All I ask is that if you do use it or someone you know uses it, just let me know!

Changing Tides

Yesterday was such a weird day.  I woke up in a blah mood (mostly because of the weather), but nothing out of the ordinary.

We covered the domestic violence chapter in our Assessment class yesterday, and as I was listening, I kept remembering my own experiences with the ER on 8/14/05 and hoping and praying that I would be a more compassionate, more understanding, less judgmental nurse than that one I was (un)fortunate enough to have that night.  During class, I wasn't really upset, just very adamant that my classmates understood that domestic violence absolutely knows no boundaries.  There is a stereotype (thanks, Jerry Springer) that is portrayed in the media, and that stereotype is a death sentence if we as a society can't get past it. There is no one "type" of person that is a victim of domestic violence.  It could be an isolated incident, like mine, or it could be an ongoing pattern, but to have a specific picture in your head of what a victim looks like is dangerous, especially for someone who works in the health care industry. 

MRS. FRUITCAKE

So...

I'm now officially Caitlin Walters, as of May 9, 2009.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to each and every person who made our day exactly what we hoped it would be.  The day was perfect, the weather was perfect, and everything played out better than we could have hoped.  We were married surrounded by our families and friends in a ceremony that absolutely reflected us and our personalities, and an evening of laughs and good times.

I'll be uploading pictures shortly (my time got cut in half--I started back to school last week!), but please ake a minute to upload your picture to our shared photo site if you were at the wedding!  I can't WAIT to see the pics from our photographers, either.  The sneaky peeky that we've gotten so far makes both us us happy, happy, happy!

for the many, many people who have asked for a copy of the script of our wedding, it's also up on the same site.  We wrote the ceremony with love, and we share it the same way.  All I ask is that you let me know if you're going to use part of it (or all of it!). 

Much love!

www.thewalterswedding.shutterfly.com

Password: walters

...so much to say, so little time!

Congrats to everyone who seems to be finding their true love, 'specially my favorite Miami girl!

So, Joe's funeral was today.  It was bittersweet in a lot of ways.  He's been in a lot of pain, and he's suffered so much that I know that he's in a better place now.  But it's still hard, because so many of my memories from high school have him in it.  At the service, this girl got up before the cerermony and played a song on her flute.  It nearly broke me to hear it, b/c anyone who was a part of the flute section at Fairhope knew that song by heart, as it was the All-State music, as well as the song that Joe played over and over and over again.  They also played music from Five Iron Frenzy, his favorite band.  And to be quite honest, to quote his pastor, I don't know of anyone else who could be buried in his Batman t-shirt and still make it look cool. 
Joe touched so many lives, and he was only 21 years old.  He never failed to make me laugh, to be there when I needed someone, to be a shoulder to cry on.  For someone so young, he was far wiser than his years.  Even in the face of surgery after surgery, pain after pain, he still kept smiling.  I am a better person for having known Joe. 
And at the wake, Laura and I joked that, once again, this was Joe's unique way of doing things.  He loved his friends and family, and didn't want to wait until our 10 year reunion.  So, in true Joe style, he brought everyone together one last time.  It was like a FHS  reunion, Joe Waldrop style. 
Joe, you were an inspiration to all who knew you.  Your faith in Jesus and your love of all things beautiful touched everyone around you.  You will be missed.