weddings

My brother is getting married tomorrow.  Tonight my mom, sister and I did kitchen duty preparing dessert, potato salad and pasta salad galore, while the bride's family worked on decorating.

We had lots of laughs as my dad's yodeling rang out across the church reception hall and filtered through the kitchen doorway.  His hilarious spirit will never stop making me laugh!

Along with laughs came anxious preparation as the bride tried to turn the dreams she had silently dreamed for so long of this day - into a reality. 

I liked the simplicity with which they are satisfied and in some ways envied the ability to settle for enough instead of always pushing for perfection and often for way too much.

I love my new sister-in-law a lot and pray the Lord will wrap His amazing arms around them and draw them constantly into Him as their lives become one.

My new sister-in-law whom I love!

from beginnings to endings

Life goes fast.

This week our family has experienced a glorious beginning with our daughter and son-in-law's wedding and now experienced the ending of our beloved Aunt Mickie's life.

Just days ago we spent a significant amount of time laughing with her and sharing a wonderful fourth of July weekend and dinner at our home.

Her loss is huge to our family - she was very close to my father only a year and a half older than he is. A sister who left us suddenly - the ending coming unexpectedly. A sad ending for us - a pain free homecoming and new beginning for her.

Beginnings and endings - opposites yet exactly the same.

the blessing of rain

There are many sayings associated with rain. "Rain on my parade", "I love walking in the rain because then no one knows you are crying", "into each life some rain must fall", "it takes both rain and sunshine to make a rainbow"...

Recently I have considered rain my own personal enemy. We are a month behind with outside work in preparation for our daughters wedding. In this case, time is not an issue we have saved vacation to prepare. Rain is our enemy.

Our yard has been too wet to drive on for at least 3 weeks now. I find myself hating each rain shower more and more. Complaining to any friend who is not already bored by my griping.

...And then I stepped out of my door to leave for work today and saw the most beautiful thing, this perfect leaf with glistening rain drops laying on it. I just stared at it and it caused me to immediately give thanks to God for His ongoing provision.

The rain is not going to steel the joy of our daughter marrying the man God chose for her. Even if it's soggy, even if it gets moved inside we will celebrate their marriage and the beginning of a lifetime of love, serving God and walks in the rain...

I needed this simple reminder that God is in control, not me!

best friends

Our daughter's best friends are beginning to get married and the reality of her getting married very soon is beginning to sink in.

It was great to have the family together - all of us!






These are times together that I do not take for granted!