… Casey and I exchanged vows in front of our amazingly supportive friends and family. My oldest childhood friend Steven (who was adopted from the same orphanage as me) and his fiancée Cynthia made our incredible wedding video (click above to watch). It captures all the emotion and importance of our celebration. We are so thankful to have this priceless gift. Getting married was something I had always hoped for, but also something I was rather uncertain about given the laws in existence during my childhood. Progress has certainly been made and tremendous change is evident. The Supreme Court will soon settle the matter of marriage equality once and for all. It is our hope that ALL will have the freedom and right to marry the person they love. The decision should be simple. LOVE is LOVE.
Our anniversary always lands around the time of the Tony Awards. Sunday night's broadcast was very entertaining and filled with emotional performances anchored by Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming acting as perfect co-hosts. My favorite highlight was probably watching Kelli O'Hara finally win a Tony Award after five previous nominations. There is something very special about Kelli. She is so incredibly talented yet completely humble and gracious. Another highlight, that was probably overlooked by most, was Phylicia Rashad introducing the in memoriam tribute. She has such a commanding presence, absolutely poised and emotive. Can we please give Clair Huxtable another Tony?!
Over the next three months we are fortunate to have tickets to see three Tony Award winning Broadway musicals starting tonight, for our anniversary, with An American in Paris. There is definitely something very special about watching live theater and as I have mentioned before, I cannot wait to take our kids to see all kinds of performances, especially the ones with their other dad on stage. Bravo and congratulations to all of the nominees and winners and also to the countless actors, musicians, writers, directors, producers and stage hands that make it all possible.
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The first auction was a wonderful success and a great learning experience. The follow-up collection is already in the works and I am very excited about the ideas I have swirling about my head. I will be using Madelinetosh Vintage, a plush superwash merino, in a worsted weight, hand dyed in Texas from ethically sourced wool in Peru. The colors are rich earthy jewel tones, perfect for fall. While most of the collection will be for girls, it is my goal to include a few pieces for boys. It is a challenge trying to create completely original designs for boys beyond sweaters and vests but I will try my best! If any of you have any input, ideas or suggestions leave us a comment down below or send us a private message from our Contact Page.
I am excited to share that we sent off our adoption home study materials for review today. This includes all of our background checks, financial statements, character references, doctor's examination reports, application paperwork and essays. It definitely took a lot longer to complete than we originally anticipated but we wanted to make sure that everything was completed properly. Once we are approved we will schedule our home visits and interviews with a social worker. Hopefully all of this can take place this summer.
I would like to conclude my post with a shout-out to all of the auction winners, bidders and contributors. We are incredibly grateful for all of your support and encouragement! Our journey has only just begun but already our "family" is growing. What a beautiful thought this is.
Have a great week everyone. Please continue to share our story with everyone you know.
David & (Casey)