Today, I’m marrying the handsome fellow pictured above. I am so damn excited to be his wife.

This time Saturday, I’ll be a married woman.

Two and a half days to go.

I have a ridiculously beautiful dress.

We have awesome wine and a delicious menu planned.

I have the three best girls in the world standing by my side.

The people who care about us most will be there.

Whatever happens, happens.

There’s nothing I can do about it now.

I’m going to have an amazing wedding.

One of my fondest memories as a little girl is of being the flower girl in my Uncle Mark’s wedding. I was 7 or 8 at the time, and I remember a special shopping trip with my future Aunt Kelly for my dress and a special present -  a Cameo necklace, which I still have, before the wedding started. I had a little bouquet of flowers in a dark brown basket. I loved that little basket.

When Bill and I started planning our wedding, I was excited to include my own nieces in the ceremony. My little niece, Riley, was only 7 months old when we got engaged, but my older niece, Angelina, was 5, which is just about the perfect age for a flower girl.

When my family celebrated Christmas this year, Angelina requested a red dress to wear to the wedding. Somehow, I got her to agree to a ivory dress with a pink sash. My mom has been hard at work making those dresses these past few weeks. But, yesterday, I learned that one of those dresses won’t get worn.

My brother called yesterday morning with the news that his ex-girlfriend, Angelina’s mom, informed him that she’d be violating the legal visitation agreement and not allowing him to have his daughter for the weekend of my wedding. I’m so embarrassed at my reaction – I was at work and started sobbing hysterically, running out of the office saying something to the effect of, “Why is she ruining my wedding?”

The answer to that question is simple — she’s a lunatic.

My brother and his wife met with a lawyer today. There’s really nothing we can do. The wedding is in 9 days and he speculated that it could take as many as 45 to get in front of a judge. She’s made it clear that when my brother arrives to pick his daughter up that she will not be there.

I’m just heartbroken. I don’t feel like my day is going to be complete without my little sassy pants niece there. I’m worried that Angelina is being denied something that she was SO excited about. I’m worried that her little sister won’t want to walk down the aisle without her big sister there to show her how to do it.  And, most of all, I’m sad that she has a mother that uses her child as a pawn to hurt other people.

I have a lot of things I’d like to say to my niece’s mother. None of them are nice. So, I’m going to leave it at this…

I hope one day your daughter forgives you for this, because I never will.

(I love you, Sissy…more than you will ever know. Auntie is going to try hard to make this up to you. None of this is your fault.)