My now sister-in-law and myself were discussing our favorite parts about various moments of the wedding weekend, and I have to say that my favorite part of today was really relishing in the arrival of relatives. Arrivals are such beautiful homecomings. And when you have not seen your family all together in quite some time-that arrival is the very best part.

And you know- as you are thinking to yourself outside when you are waiting- that when the wave of people begin coming, the days and the hours will pass by ever so quickly. Thus, the importance of the arrival is even more important to somehow bottle up the excitement and stop time ever so slightly to really think about how exciting the moments are to come. 

Today was one of those arrival days. Though the morning seemed to go by slowly, the afternoon really sped by quite quickly. We ran a few errands in the morning and then the first wave of relatives came and then the second and then the third. The way in which they staggered themselves made it that much more exciting because there was time to just catch up and then think about the next wave of people.  

The arrival of beautiful memories is almost like watching the day begin or the daylight begin to fade when the night stars come out. It's gradual but happens so seamlessly that the beauty becomes grace and the grace becomes magic and the magic turns into love all at once. It's like watching an adventure time-lapse. And soon the quiet lawn lined with flowers and summer foliage turns into an eruption of those familiar faces you have spent holidays and reunions and some of life's most important moments with, laughter and wisdom and miracles of your 90-some year old grandparents arriving back on your patio and looking at the yard in which they watched you play soccer and tag and practice skits and swing on the swingset and celebrate countless birthday parties and graduation ceremonies and wedding celebrations.

How many times do we actually have backyard gatherings anymore? With our family? With our friends? How many reunions? How many celebrations? Backyard arrivals remind us of the importance of patience when awaiting moments unforgettable.