It has been awhile since my last posting… for this I am sorry.

I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy on August 1 and have not blogged at all or Facebooked or Twittered  while recuperating. But now that I am back to 100%, the words, I am hoping, will start flowing again.

I have much to say about this Bell’s experience. Not only from a patients point of view, but also from someone who has had it, gotten fantastic advise from friends, and have moved past it to a place of learning. For this I am very grateful. Because of this appreciation, I want to share what I have learned and experienced with others, as it was shared with me, to hopefully make the illness less scary for someone who might be afflicted with it.

So I will be posting little bits and pieces in the next week, documenting the 2 weeks of the toughest part of this illness and the process I had in my recovery.

The 1 thing I must say now, is thank you… Thank you to my best friend and partner John, for all the caring and nuturing he has given me through this, at a time when his plate was so very full. Thank you to my Mom & Marty, my Dad and Shari, my sister Tina & Steve and my niece and nephews, John’s family and all my caring and wonderful extended family and friends who all have been so thoughtfull with well wishes and prayers… I shall name you all in the postings to come! Your love has made all the difference in the world. I love you all….

So John and I have been fortunate enough to be included and invited to 3 amazing weddings this year.

First, Marie and Mark Murtagh’s beautiful wedding in London

Second, John’s nephew Christopher and Nikki Williams fantastic wedding in Cincinnati ( see blog posting below )

Third, Mike & Nancy Voticky’s 3rd  daughter Gilly and her husband Rick Mathews 2 weeks ago in Austin TX.

This last wedding was also incredible. Nancy, the MOB, did an outstanding job creating yet another over the top event for their daughter Gill. Nancy should really think about going into event planning, as after 3 wedding in no less than 25 months, she has become an expert on all things wedding. web service security . Nothing, not even the smallest detail, gets past Nancy. It is no wonder, since she planned the wedding for their eldest daughter Allie in Montreal back in May 2007 and second daughter Candy in Austin in June 2008, she has had lots of practice.

So here are some pictures of the wedding held at the Four Seasons with video as well.

The wedding ceremony was beautiful

The Hora dance is a traditional Jewish dance in celebration of the Bride & Groom as well as the parents of both Bride and Groom. I took this in 2 parts – total dance time over 9 minutes!

Watch the dance off between some of these men… including John and Mike!

Who knew these guys had such moves? ( I knew John did, after all, his dance card was full of requests from the ENTIRE wedding party a week before the event! )

And finally, Ryan Kasprzak, a dancer from season 5 and season 6 “So You Think You Can Dance” was a guest at the wedding, as he and the groom Rick have been friends since high school, and as a special gift to Rick and Gill performed a tap dance for all the guest, which was fantastic… video below – enjoy!

Here are some pictures of John’s nephew Christopher and his beautiful bride Nikki on their wedding day May 16th 2009 in Cincinnati OH.

It was a beautiful wedding and amazing family gathering. One of the wonderful things about John’s family, as with my own, is the love and connection they have for one another. Every event, wether it is a wedding, birthday party, holiday or just Thursday night dinner, it is done with love and togetherness. I am lucky to be included in their family, for this is a blessing.

This is Michael Harris’ 19th Birthday dance at Christopher and Nikki wedding celebration