Well Wishes for a Newlywed

Today my beautiful sister-in-law Ashlee married Darin Knapp. They are both graduates of the Marriage and Family Therapy masters program at BYU, which bodes well for them, I think. I always thought that Ashlee looked like Reese Witherspoon, but I suspect that her love life will proceed much more happily and peacefully than Reese's. A few weeks ago one of Ashlee's friends wrote around to Dave and his sisters, asking for well wishes to include in a bridal shower present for Ashlee. Dave, being Dave, had the following to offer:

"I wish that your appreciation of all the Knapp puns will never get old.*I wish that none of the wards you move to will require any copious amount of therapy, just dollops.I wish that Darin will always have more hair on his face and less hair on his scalp than Ashlee.I wish that it will not be too long before Darin realizes that, in the tradition of men named Darin, he has unwittingly married into a family of witches.I wish that you will forever diversify your dinner recipe portfolio.I wish to see mommy-daughter Irish step dancing videos going viral on YouTube in ten years, but for good reasons.
I wish that your children, and your children's children, will be Celtics fans. And Celtics players.
I wish that, when you utter the line "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," it's just because you're traveling by car. Not tornado.
I wish you all the good things that will be wished to you by my wife, who will feel compelled to write serious things.
And lastly,
I hope you daaaaaaaance!
*What do you call a sleeping bag with you in it? Knapp sack! What do you call it when the back of your neck gets really cold? Nippy Knapp Nape! What would you call it if your family moved to Mumbai and went into law enforcement and had a car race as a fundraiser for your squad?The IndianKnappPolice 500!"

I have to admit that I don't totally get the humor behind the "family of witches" wish, but I have confidence that it's very clever (regarding the Kansas one, that's where they're moving for Ph.D programs this fall). Anyway, I gave a lot of thought to what my well wishes would be for Ashlee, but that thought generally took place late at night while nursing a baby and away from a computer. So now, in honor of Ashlee and Darin's 8-hour-old marriage, and because my husband was entirely correct that I would feel compelled to write serious things, here are my wishes for the family's newest bride:

1. I wish that you will always be able to see your husband as Heavenly Father sees him, a soul of infinite worth.

2. I wish that you will take joy in your husband's happiness.

3. I also wish the reverse: that your husband will take joy in your happiness.

4. I wish you many opportunities to work together, and the satisfaction of seeing that you are a good team.

5. I wish that you will take delight in the way your husband lives his life.

6. I wish that you will occasionally but continually find yourself surprised by and admiring of something your husband does, says, or thinks. 

7. I wish for you a husband that doesn't freak out when a baby comes and boots him from the center of your attention.

8. I wish for you a husband who gets ever so slightly emotional when he holds his new baby for the first time.

9. I wish for you a husband who supports you in developing talents and skills outside, as well as inside, the realm of house and children. 

10. Mostly, of course, I wish for you a family of in-laws as awesome as mine.

Congratulations, Ashlee and Darin! And to my love, te iubesc, sotul meu.