The upcoming wedding

As you all no doubt know, Evangeline and Erick plan to marry on the Sixth of August. It goes without saying that we're very excited for them.

Invitations will mail soon. We just need to make sure that we dot our i's and cross our t's before mailing them. Susan, Evangeline, Laura and Hannah have just taken over the process. I just smile and nod occansionally. Should I have expected anything different?

The occasion has brought on a rather incurable case of nostalgia in the household. Susan and I remembering our wedding in the stories that we tell our kids. Yes, that was really Lizzy Unna shouting 'oh my god, you're married' as she jumped up and down in the receiving room of Plymouth Church. Yes, Susan did choose a hot dog with a side of hot chocolate in Public Square over surf and turf room service. Would do it all again if I could.

My mother also shared with me a rememberance that she wrote of her wedding day. It's funny, but somehow I had never heard the story before. Mom, thank you for sharing. My parents Larry and Virginia Boulden are pictured with Kim Opitz (Chase) and Jamie Gilliland (Chase). Can't remember who the best man is.

Happy Mother's Day

The other day Susan gave me a quick glimpse into the multifaceted nature of being a mom when she said "a mom is someone who can be tugged, bugged, and hugged all at the same time." For most men, who struggle to do one thing at a time, this level of multitasking is difficult to understand.

With that in mind, I would like to thank all of the mothers in our family for the wonderful things that you do. We appreciate your patience; marvel at how you instinctively know what a child needs; and appreciate your ability to look after everyone's well being -- usually before your own.

Thank you Mom for not laughing too hard before you spanked Monica and I for playing darts inside the house with rocks from the driveway. Thank you Marisue for always helping us make our house a home. Barbara, thank you for all those meals you cook for 25 at the cottage - a tough job to be sure.

Thank you Lizzy, Monica, Lisa and Liz for being great mothers. Thank you to Evangeline for bringing little Skylar into the world and being such a great mother. We love you all.

In commemoration of this day and one very special mom, Hannah and I put together the following video:



We love you Susan.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

My father had gastric bypass surgery Wednesday, April 20th. A growing number of patients, and doctors, have found it to be an almost a miracle cure for type 2 diabetes. Many patients are able to stop insulin treatments before they leave the hospital.

My Dad has struggled with type two diabetes for almost 25 years. Weight loss, a low sugar diet and exercise have helped him effectively manage the disease that has significantly affected his life. This surgery offered a chance to beat diabetes.

The path to gastric bypass surgery was filled with a number of roadblocks, including recommendations from doctors, meetings with a nutritionist, psychologist and test after test. We are proud of the determination that he has shown to throughout the process.

The surgery itself went off without a hitch. There were a few minor post operation snafus that pushed his release into the next week. He is now recovering at home and quite happy to be out of the hospital. I have made a point of pestering the snot out of him with daily requests for updates.

As of today “my body is regulating blood sugar on its own after 20 years or so of medical control,” says my Dad. He's still not out of the woods yet, but his blood sugar levels are expected to continue falling. He'll see the bariatric doctors again next week to review where he is and discuss any necessary adjustments.

We're excited for him and wanted to share the news with friends and family. If you would like more information about the surgery or any of those roadblocks leading up to the surgery, please visit his blog at: http://surgicalpathtoslim.blogspot.com/