The Wedding of Sticky & Christina

Sticky and I walking in.....
Los Umbriacos
Dos Umbriacos
Me & my sis
Two happy Rudnickis
Mas Umbriacos
Amy's fiancee John is the one on the left
Parents etc.
Sticky making the magic happen.

Tale of Two Cities

Long couple of weeks......

Erin and I had to drive to Dallas (the day after Grandpa passed) so we could catch a flight to the SLC the next morning (incidentally it was $800 less per person to fly out of Dallas....). The drive to Dallas worked out well as it meant that we got to see Brandy Patrick on back to back weekends... but I was also able to spend time with mi amore - Corey Duncan (and his wife was there also...) Corey and I stayed up until 3 and then we got up at 6 to go to the airport.

We drove up to Green River with Juanita and Joshnita and spent Friday evening at the family viewing and rosary service..... (I've not been to mass in sometime and when it came time for the 'Our Father' I realized a little too late that the "for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever" isn't recited....)

We spent alot of time with all of Erin's various relatives which was a lot of fun! We stayed Sat. night in a room with Jenny and Richie and their dog, Harley. On Sunday Juanita, Erin and I decided to go up to the gravesite (the funeral was on Saturday - thanks Mom & Dad, and Rud's for coming up). Right at was rounded a bend in front of the cemetery Juanita lets out a yelp..... "It's a bear!"

Allow me to post a visual comparison of the animal she saw and the animal she thought she saw:

A Polar Bear:

Actually it was a sheep:

But that's an honest mistake! So we had a good time joking about Juanita's 'Polar Bear.'

When Erin and I got back to Dallas on Tuesday - Marylin met us at the airport (DFW is an amazing airport BTW) and brought us back to Brandy's. We said to Brandy for a minute and got on the road.... we got back to Houston around 11:30 PM - went to work Wed and Thursday and Friday morning we flew to Chicago for Sticky's wedding where I had the honor of serving as best man!

I was going to post some wedding pictures but blogger is having upload issues.... weak blogger.... not strong.

Tomorrow: wedding pics.

For Joe.

Earlier today Erin and I got the news that her grandfather Joe 'Ross' Vigil passed away after a 2-month struggle to recover from a massive stroke. I knew Joe as a story-teller. Every time I saw him - he had a story.... about eating horse meat when he served in the military or catching a train to Denver for a Broncos game.... from a fishing yarn to nights of jitterbug dancing with his wife - the man was overflowing with memories. As I sit here I'm unsure of how to react. Death is where the rubber meets the road for faith.... as much as humanity is concerned with our purpose here on Earth - I think we're all driven by the question of what happens when we die - and as Christians if there's no hope in death then we are irrelevant. We have nothing to say if we can't say death is ultimately beautiful.

We are all created as image bearers of the One God and from birth until our last breath - every scar and crinkle of our visage is reflective of something wholly other. That God would take on flesh and die gives us hope. That God is so consumed by zeal for His Holiness that He would put to death His Son for our sins is beautiful - and that we are offered hope of life eternal with Him because of the Son is something altogether other.... I don't have a word for that. So there is beauty in the passing of a saint - out of this world to a place where there is no suffering - just the radiance of a broken lamb in a forever healed body.

For a man who's stories I'd only 5 years to hear - now with the Story everlasting:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit brother, Amen.

Goodbye Grandpa.

The Stella Link

Jonathan and Sarah had a baby..... Tiffany and Nolan just had number two..... pretty much every human I went to high school with has had a baby..... so what is keeping us from having one.....

This thought occurred to me yesterday as Erin and I read the news that Sarah had given birth...... but as I thought about it some more I just didn't think I could live with the guilt.

Can you imagine the pyschological trauma this child would suffer? How could I ever look my child in the face and explain that this person that Erin and I brought into the world was born.... in Texas?

They issue you three things upon birth in Texas:
1) Birth Certificate
2) Concealed Weapons Permit
3) Gift certificate for http://www.texasjacks.com/

Even if we moved when the child was very young - I don't think they can ever fully repress the memories of Texas. The child would always fight an overwhelming desire to listen to country music... Erin and I have already begun intensive shock therapy to convince ourselves that we're actually in Deleware..... how could we do this to a child?

Alas, poor Battlecat is showing many symptoms of a dog who is clearly aware of where she is from..... She keeps bringing home flyers for this place:

http://www.trayerscowdogs.com/index.html



If I ever post a picture of Battlecat in this kind of a get up.... you'll know that Erin and I have reached the breaking point....

On an entirely different note: Erin and I were up in Ft. Worth where we consumed many ribs with Brandy, Marylin, Doug, (assorted canines & stuffed armadillos) and Sean and Rachel who were in town for spring break!

This weekend the Duncans are visiting the fair state of TX so we're looking forward to seeing them..... and the next weekend.... the wedding of Chicago Sticky.

That is all for now

Update

Here's Erin's Birthday Present!
Erin and I sitting on her new piano benchErin and Brandy gettin' their craft on
Brandy w/ Battlecat on the Love Sac (note blanket protecting Brandy's skin from touching suede!)
Battlecat in her natural habitat
Battlecat hanging out on the futon

Long time no post..... my bad. Things have been crazy here lately: Erin has been sick - since she's been sick she had to miss some school which stressed her out.... stress + sick = sad. Sad Erin received some sad news and flew back to SLC today to be with her grandfather who, after suffering a major stroke in January, has taken a turn for the worse. All of that is a lot to handle for her....

We were stoked to have Brandy with us before Erin got sick.... Brandy was quite ingenuitive with her sewing endeavors engineering a spindle out of several DVDs and a pencil. We also discovered Lee's Burgers and More. Lee is this older Asian dude who runs a burger/chinese food joint a couple blocks from our house. Lee's special: 1/3 lbs. Burger, Fries, and a Drink: $3.29..... amazing! The other food revelation was: General Joe's located in the Fiesta down the street. This too is amazing. Erin and I have grieved being apart from Chop Suey Luey's and the Chinese Food place in Smith's on 9th and 9th.... General Joe's has helped me cope.... cheap Chinese - the General Joe's Combo also less than $4!

Random Thoughts:

1) Broncos cutting Mike Anderson = weak.

2) The Utes Men's B-Ball Team sucks worse than I've ever seen them suck..... which sucks. No march madness makes me sad.

3) Houston 1836 changed their name to Houston Dynamo

4) Erin and I are stoked for the new Hays addition!

Please pray for Erin and her family.