Wedding Pictures

Thursday, June 18, the work began! My faithful crew of helpers arrived at the church to decorate for the wedding early in the day and we worked all day, finally satisfied our magic was complete by 6:00 pm.

My mother works her pew bow magic...

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law help out...

I'm beginning to work on the arbor...phew!

My sweet hubby does everything he can to help out...

The groom stops by to check it all out...

Ahhh...my work is done!

Friday evening was the wedding rehearsal and then a wonderful Italian dinner at our favorite restaurant. A fabulous time was had by all!

Daughter Julie and her oldest daughter...

The wedding day was warm and beautiful. Our granddaughter Sydney was an excited little flower girl!

The ceremony and the happy bride and groom...the ceremony was beautiful.

Under my creation after the ceremony...

My side kick and best helper in the world, my sister-in-law Jeri and I.

The reception was SO much fun! The bride chose a darling little cake with a whimsical topper and gorgeous and delicious individual cakes covered in shaved white chocolate.

The centerpieces...

The grooms cake...

The first dance...

Mother and son...

Parents of the groom...

After all the official dances and cake cutting, fun was had by all!!!

Papa and granddaughter Izzy...

The groom shows off a little!

"Mimi" and Isabelle, our second granddaughter...

Our son-in-law Mark and his youngest have a dance...

"Papa" and Sydney twirl around the dance floor...

Good friends and good times...

At the end of the day, family memories were made the bride and groom were off on a honeymoon to Rome and Greece. My out of town family, who had traveled to Michigan from California, Tennessee, and Florida stayed until Thursday. We had a wonderful Father's Day together, especially poignant since my father is quite ill. We were blessed to be together. Our prayers are that our son and brand new daughter-in-law have a long and happy marriage. May each y=of you and your families be blessed with special memories and wonderful occasions!

Red, White, and Blue Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday is hosted by Dixie, at French Lique. Be sure to visit her wonderful blog to see more WW postings.

Lazy Beach Days For Two

Hubby and I are on our way to the Florida beach after a busy, busy month. We can't wait! Our daughter and son-in-law and their two little girls are staying home this summer and our son and brand new daughter-in-law are on their European honeymoon, so Hubby and I will be spending two lovely weeks at the beach alone this year. Not bad. It seems we rarely go anywhere alone and while we will miss our beautiful family, we are really looking forward to lying in the sun and walking on the beach together. I've mentioned before that we've stayed at the same place in Florida during the same weeks for over 30 years. So it's a home away from home and we've made lots of wonderful friends there that we always look forward to seeing and visiting with. I am looking forward to being totally lazy! It's been a non stop month of wedding prep and getting ready for out of town company. Even though both of those causes are lovely, it's nice to have some days to have absolutely nothing to do other than be lazy.

I haven't posted much in the last month so I've prepared some posts to publish while I'm away in hopes you won't forget about me! One of the posts will include pictures from our sons June 20 wedding. Enjoy the July 4th celebrations and lots of fun, safe summer days!

Liz, Craft From My Heart, recently gave me this "One Lovely Blog" award. Thanks Liz! I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to post your award. I do so appreciate it though! I believe the instructions were to pass the award along to 14 bloggers that you have recently discovered. I'm going to have to think about that one! I have been so busy with the plans for our sons wedding that I have spent very little time on the computer in a month. I haven't even been to visit my good old favorite blogs, let alone have time to find new ones! I will look forward to finding and passing it along to new blogs as soon as the wedding and our vacation is over. It will give me lots of fun hours of blogging to look forward to! Thanks Liz!!!

39 Years and Counting!

Today is our 39th wedding anniversary! Where have the years gone? It simply seems impossible. With the wedding of our son just this past weekend I was reminded of the days leading up to my own wedding. My mother planned most of it for me. After all, what did I know about planning a wedding? I was just a 17 high school student! My goodness - I would have flipped out if one of my own children had entertained the idea of getting married between their junior and senior years of high school! Maybe it was a different time then, in 1970, and maybe we were special, but we've been mostly happy these 14,235 days we've shared in marriage in spite of the odds. Everyone who has ever been married knows about those odd days when it seems nothing can make one or both of you happy! We've had some of those too. We've had lean days early in our marriage when we had to borrow milk money. We've had days when we were frantic over sick babies. We've grieved together and celebrated together. We became grandparents together, worried over a preemie granddaughter and lost one grandchild. We lost more than one pregnancy of our own. We've both been diagnosed with serious illnesses and fought together to win. We tried for many years to have our two children and now we've seen them both married in the church we attended as newlyweds. Throughout it all, the good and the not so good of marriage, God has been our constant companion and guide. We're moving forward, on to 40 years and more!

It's Wedding Week!

Hello dear blogging friends!

It seems like ages since I posted. I have been buried in mounds of tulle and ribbon for weeks, helping to prepare for our sons wedding, which is Saturday. Jacob and Jenni have been engaged for 2 1/2 years, which seemed like such a long time, but now that it's here I can't believe it. Jacob is my baby so the occasion of his marriage brings mixed feelings of sadness and joy. He is marrying a girl I couldn't love more if I picked her out myself for my son. Their personalities complement each other perfectly. She is beautiful, quiet, and shy, yet determined, organized, and she knows what she wants in life. He is hard working, outgoing and funny - the party begins when he arrives! They are both work horses and willing to sacrifice for what they want. They're a perfect match. My husband and I love them both more than I can say and we are so happy that they will finally begin their lives together this Saturday.

Our responsibilities for the wedding are the rehearsal dinner and the church. The programs are printed and folded, the pew and candelabra bows are made, the arbor ready to decorate, a dozen 6 foot trees are potted, painted white, strung with lights and the bases wrapped in ivory tulle. White satin wreaths wait to be hung in the sanctuary windows, and 100 feet of ivory tulle garland containing strings of white lights are ready to hang along the molding surrounding the platform where they kids will stand to be married.

As you can see, everything is ready to go for wedding day. But as much as I love, love, love my future daughter-in-law, my heart isn't quite ready to let my baby boy go! He's already a grown man - has been for a long time. He's 27, lives in his own home, and is a partner in his own growing business. My boy is a moose of a man, tall and broad! But when I look at him, especially this week, I see my long waited for precious baby boy with big brown eyes and sweet baby curls, and a smile to die for. When he took me to show me the tuxedo he had chosen for his wedding I could just picture him in his toddler short pants and bow tie!

I have a busy, busy week ahead. My parents arrived today, my brother arrives tomorrow, and my sister on Friday. I will be decorating the church tomorrow and then we will be hosting a pizza party in the evening. I will begin Friday morning by filling trays with pastries and tarts I will make for the rehearsal dinner and getting them to the restaurant in time to get to the church for rehearsal by 4:30. Then we will celebrate with 60+ people at a wonderful Italian restaurant for the rehearsal dinner. Saturday, WEDDING DAY, will be a joyous marathon day with an afternoon ceremony and a dinner reception with dancing and 200 friends and loved ones. The kids will be off on their honeymoon to Italy and Greece while we celebrate Father's Day with a big family cook out at our house. Our out of town family will be with us most of next week. When they all head home, my husband and I will have two days to pack for a trip to the beach, which I think we'll happily enjoy after the month we've had!

I won't have much computer time for the next few weeks so it looks like I will be taking a blogging break until mid July. I hope each one of you will be enjoying each precious day of summer. I can hardly wait to post pictures of the wedding when I return! Who knows, I probably won't be able to wait that long - maybe I'll find the time to squeeze in a post next week!

Happy summer, friends!!!

So Long Self

So Long Self

Mercy Me

(Don't forget to pause the beach music on my sidebar before listening to Mercy Me!)

Bring The Rain

Bring The Rain

Mercy Me

(Don't forget to pause the beach music on my sidebar before listing to Mercy Me)

Story Behind "Bring The Rain"

Please visit Brittany, Sweet Nothings, and Charlotte & Ginger, Spiritual Sundays, for more inspirational posts!

Monk & Neagle

Praise & Worship Sunday is hosted by Brittany, Sweet Nothings. Spiritual Sundays is hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.

video: You Tube

Monk & Neagle

"Hallelujah Jesus"

Keeper of the stars

Lord of time and space

I will live my life

Lifting up Your name

Lover of my heart

God who came to save

Thank You for the cross

And the life You gave

Wonderful, powerful

Jesus is Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

You are the everlasting God

Author of my life

Friend of sinful man

Holy, mighty God

Ever Great I Am

You’re so wonderful, powerful

Jesus is Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

You are the everlasting God

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

My Lord, beautiful You are

I love to sing Your name

I love to sing Your name

I love to sing Your name

I worship and adore You, God

I love to sing Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

I love to sing Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

I love to sing Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

I worship You with all my heart

Wonderful, powerful

Jesus is Your name

Seashells At The Seashore

Visit Dixie at French Lique to find more Wordless Wednesday posts! This week theme is Bloggers Choice.

Mosaic Monday - Spring Garden Mosaic

Just roaming around blogland, I ran into a fun new blog event - at least it's new to me. Mary, at Little Red House, is hosting Mosaic Monday. I love pictures and I take way to many to use in any constructive way, so this one is right up my alley! If you would like to participate in Mosaic Monday or see lots of beautiful posts, stop in to see Mary at her sweet Little Red House blog!

My Spring Garden Mosaic

Beautiful You

Praise and Worship Sunday is hosted by Brittany, Sweet Nothings. Spiritual Sunday is hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.

Don't forget to pause the beach music on my side bar before listening to "Beautiful You".

This song by Monk & Neagle describes some of the wonders of God's creations on Earth.

"Beautiful You"

All the oceans and the seas know the sound

Of Your beautiful voice

And if You tell them to be calm and be still

They have no other choice

You put the stars in the sky and then

You taught them to shine

They know just what to do

Every morning’s a symphony that’s perfectly timed

Thanks to beautiful You

Beautiful You

I can’t imagine life without You

Beautiful You

I can’t imagine being alone

Beautiful You

The only thing I ever wanna do

Beautiful You

Is have You hold me in Your arms

Beautiful You

All the waterfalls know just where to fall

Brilliant every time

When it rains, you are behind it all

With gentle rhythm and rhyme

Mountains high know Your voice

And they are ready to move where You tell them to

With all my heart, I believe that I can do the same

Thanks to beautiful You

Every ocean, every sea

Every morning’s a symphony

Every drop of rain, every waterfall

All the stars in the sky are so beautiful

Every breath I breathe, every beat of my heart

I feel so alive ‘cause of who You are

Every day I rise, every time I sing

I’m reminded of Your great love for me

You’re beautiful, so beautiful

Beautiful You

I just want to be around You

Beautiful You

I can’t imagine life without You

Beautiful You

There is nothing that I can’t do

Beautiful You

When I build my life around You

Beautiful You

Lilacs Are Blooming In My Yard!

Wordless Wednesday is hosted by Dixie, French Lique. Stop by her wonderful blog to find a list of other Wordless Wednesday participants! Today's theme is "favorite flower".

Checkin' Stuff Off The Wedding To Do List

One thing at a time we're all checking things off the wedding prep list. This is the song Jacob and I will be dancing to for the mother-son dance. Elton John - "Blessed". I love the song - just ignore the weird video! And it DOES feel like he shouldn't be walking yet! Gosh, the time has flown since he was placed in my arms for the first time!

(Don't forget to pause the beach music on my sidebar before playing Elton!)

An Interesting New Blog

I love finding new blogs! I recently found an interesting new page that is compiling a list of Christian/faith based blogs. I checked it out and there are many on the list already, though the author plans a summer kickoff with giveaways and other fun things. I thought many of you would be interested so I'm providing the link below. Have a wonderful day everyone!

http://mychristianblogs.com/

While I was Gone...

While in Florida I read the most incredible book. I'm sure many of you have already read it but I had been putting it off - dragging my feet. It just didn't sound like something I would enjoy. It's "The Shack" - I read it in a day on the beach and I can't wait to read it again. My daughter read it when it first came out and ALL the nurses at my chemo center passed it along until they've all read it. Every single person who told me about their experience reading it RAVED about it. But it sounded so horribly sad...how could it be so fantastic and uplifting??? The first four chapters ARE sad and filled with one of life's greatest tragedies. But you need that background to get the benefit from the rest of the book. From chapter five until the last word in the book, it is not only FANTASTIC, but uplifting. Now, if you haven't read "The Shack" and you are going to, read with an open mind. It's one of those books, kind of like the Left Behind series, that you have to remind yourself - not in a literal way, but ya, it could happen like that...

If you have not read "The Shack" by William P. Young, DO plan to read it soon! It will leave you feeling incredibly uplifted!!