backtracking a bit, we had a lovely weekend. on friday night, i took a little road trip to muncie to celebrate elle's upcoming marriage to josh. it was so good to see elle face-to-face after about two years of living across the country from each other. the thing i love about my friends is that bachelorette parties consist of food, music, pajamas, campfires and blueberry pancakes. it's so much more fun than the drunken stripper variety of parties! i'm excited about this wedding. elle and josh have had a long story in the making... ...another beautiful story in the making is that of palmer and amy, who celebrated their first wedding anniversary with a big party on saturday night. i've heard that the first year of marriage is the most difficult. i hope that's the case for them, because their first year, frankly, seems to have really stunk - to the point where they say they feel like they've been married for twenty years. i have to say that i have so much respect and love for them. if daniel or i ever get really, really sick, they would be my model of how to respond - with so much grace and love and hope. happy anniversary, mark and amy! further on the topic of marriage, when i got home from indiana, our first floor was transformed by daniel's all-night decorating and organizing frenzy. our house feels so much more like a functioning, welcoming home now. thanks, baby! he's leaving the second floor to me. i have a vision - just have to make it real.