Happy Anniversary Mallory & Chris

Today is Mallory and Chris’ 6th wedding anniversary. And this post is a complete surprise to both of them. Mallory previews and QCs all of our posts before they go live – I might lose my password privileges after this…

Six years ago I had the honor of being Mallory’s matron of honor and giving a speech during her and Chris’ wedding reception. A couple weeks ago I found my handwritten speech on four pieces of legal notepad paper while searching for something else in my home office (which is really a closet but more about that in another post). I decided it would be a fun anniversary surprise to retype and post my speech. It is my understanding there is a video of the speech somewhere, but no one (especially myself!) wants to see that!

I wrote this speech the week of Mallory’s wedding in Chelan from the hotel room I was sharing with Ryan, Sam and Emma (18 months old at the time), our nanny, our nanny’s husband, and a partridge in a pear tree with little private time and even less sleep, but admittedly I had been drafting it in my head for months. I have purposely kept editing to a minimum minus leaving out the strike-throughs.

Rereading this speech six years later admittedly brought tears to my eyes. Mallory, I hope reading this speech today brings back as many happy memories of your wedding as it did for me. I would say the same words again a thousand times over. Cheers my beautiful sister…

Good evening. For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Megan Rubenstein and I am Mallory’s older sister and my husband Ryan and I are the proud parents of Sam & Emma, the younger of the two adorable sets of twins that made it down the aisle during the ceremony.

I’d like to start by saying thank you – thank you to all of you who made this trip to Lake Chelan – I know Chris and Mallory are very appreciative; thank you to Chris’ parents Geri & Ruthann for the wonderful rehearsal & welcome dinners the past two nights; and thank you to my parents Buff & Lori for hosting this celebration.

I will admit I struggled putting together my thoughts for this evening. How does one condense 27 years of sisterhood into one speech, especially when Mallory made me promise to keep it short?

So first I ran through all the stories I could share of Mallory’s childhood and believe me growing up in a family of 4 kids, there are lots! Like when Mallory and I shared a bedroom with bunk beds and no matter what bunk I chose at night, Mallory would crawl in and make me sing her lullabies until she fell asleep.

But I decided what I really wanted to share with all of you here tonight, especially for those of you that don’t know Mallory as well, is one of the many reasons I love Mallory so much.

I am blessed with a beautiful sister. And while I have never seen Mallory look more beautiful than she does today, the beauty I am talking about is that which is seen through the eyes of a child. Mallory has always had a special connection with children. It is what led her to pursue a career in school counseling; why her students voted her their favorite faculty member after just one year of working; why my mom called her the Pied Piper because of the string of children constantly following her; and why I am convinced God got us confused when he blessed me with twins instead of Mallory – but don’t worry, Chris, I am sure lightening can only strike once within a family.

My sister can comfort any child. She sees past any runny nose, sticky fingers, disability, or circumstance to the essence of their need and meets it – no matter what it is. Children adore her and what is more important than the love of a child?

Therefore, I always knew my future children would be blessed to have Mallory as an aunt, but I am now so happy that Sam & Emma can officially say “Uncle Chris welcome to the family”!

So please raise your glasses and join me in wishing Mallory and Chris a beautiful life together.

Happy Anniversary Mallory and Chris! I love watching your beautiful life together unfold just across the street. Thank you for bringing Joe and Jack into our lives. Sam and Emma always adored you but now they cannot bear days without their cousins. Watch out – they continue to draw up plans for the zip line and tunnel between our houses! And Ryan and I’s lives are fuller and richer because of you. Cheers to your beautiful marriage – I cannot wait to watch the next 40 years!