Today we drove up to Jaimie's to join him and the kids for some pre-wedding preparations and just plain fun. We gave Noah his watch and Ava her starfish necklace for being part of the marriage procession tomorrow, and they both seemed to set great store by the gifts. Noah almost never stopped checking the time on his blue and white watch, and Ava wore her necklace with joyfulness for a few minutes and then made a special place for it on her dresser.

We had fun for the whole afternoon, from splashing in the small but perfect wading pool, to preparing a fruit salad for tomorrow with Ava's happy help, to listening with the kids to a special song we plan to play at tomorrow's ceremony. Toward the end of our visit, Delycia took the kids through a practice-run for the procession tomorrow, with Noah pretending to proudly carry the rings and Ava following behind with blossoms to spread before the bride and groom.

Now, at 7:36 pm, my bride and I are resting in a homelike motel near Jaimie's, just about as happy, I would guess, as 70-year-olds can be.