Wedding Day, II

Maren and Jason ~ October 24th, 2015

The guests arrive!

Maren's guest book and gift attendants were dear friends from her days
student-teaching in Shell, Ecuador.

Every guest wore a flower

The Ceremony

Tough job for a dad

Marriage = Continuing what God started before man sinned, in the perfect Garden of Eden 

Both fathers read the Scriptures

Our cousin's husband did a beautiful job with the music (and even played songs I would have used by Edvard Grieg!!)  Here he sings Keith Green's "I Pledge My Head to Heaven for the Gospel."

The Reception

Grandson and Grandma

So many special family and friends to enjoy!

Grandpa made it to the wedding he had been so long anticipating.
He had been trying to marry off his eldest granddaughter for at least 15 years!
But he looked lonely, and we missed Grandma.

Freshly sliced Elmer's Texas Barbecue

Young friends served water

Jalapenos were one of the baked-potato toppings

Whipping cream for pie

Lemonade, anyone?!

Jason's sister (also a bridesmaid) baked and decorated more than 400 sunflower cookies!

Jason and Maren's t-shirts flanked the pie table

Pansies topped each piece of pie

Cousins did a beautiful job lighting the tent!

A cosy place to end the evening

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. !!! We look forward to seeing how God works in and through you... together.

Wedding Day, I

 Maren and Jason ~ October 24th, 2015

Maren's veil was bought with a gift from dear friends, Peter and Carmosina,
who live too far away to attend but were a huge part of the
celebration through their prayers.

Can you spot what made us laugh so hard about this photo?!

Bridesmaids preparing back at home

The groom preparing at church

Surprise!!

Most of these photos are thanks to our dear sister, Joey,
who was also Personal Attendant and
all-around life saver for our family through the
wedding weekend and following days.

Our second-cousin's wife was a great photographer to work with!
We are excited to see her photos later.
(www.frontrowphotoff.com)

Aunt Dorothy got in on some photos as Honorary Bridesmaid!

Though unable to practice the piano these years or play for my sister's wedding like I had hoped, God did give me the strength to share my favorite arrangement of How Great Thou Art with M and J earlier in the day. It was a new milestone in my healing to even attempt that.
God is great!

Finally it was time to hide away in the nursery until the wedding. This retreat (complete with a bed on the floor) made it possible for Elsa and me to recharge many times throughout the day. Though we would have loved to be out visiting and celebrating the whole day, we are thankful for more strength than we could have hoped for. God truly carried us and blessed us through the prayers of so many!

So fun to have our niece hang out with us!  She was also great at helping out during photos
while her brother and dad (my foster-brother) set up the reception area in the tent.

One last backrub from Miss Maren

Next... the guests and the wedding!

Wedding Preparations

After four months of planning and preparing, the wedding week finally arrived!!

Time to raise the tent for reception overflow, arrange table flowers, scrub and wrap potatoes for baking, prep cabbage for salad, and so much more.  We are so thankful for many family and friends who helped make it all happen!

Then on to the rehearsal.

Many, many prayers enabled Elsa and me to take part even though Elsa had been to the clinic earlier in the day for antibiotics to tackle a sinus infection after a very ill week.  

We sat whenever possible to save strength for the actual wedding.

Maren's last tutoring graduate was sound-man/usher.

 Almost there!!

Waiting... and a Wedding

My sister spent 35 years as "Miss Maren." Thirty-five full, fruitful years. Yes, she had long hoped for a family of her own, but I watched my sister cultivate contentment year after year and choose to live fully "now" - trusting God's plan.

The term "single" doesn't really fit those years.  She has always been surrounded by family, students and friends to love, enjoy and serve.  And most importantly, she continued to learn of and lean on God's steadfast, unfailing, perfect love for her.  Maren sought daily to serve Him wherever she was.  Often that just meant washing endless dishes, changing diapers, and giving back-rubs day and night.

Rather than "single," Maren has been Daughter, Sister, Neice, Granddaughter, Student, Teacher, Mentor, Counselor...

... with these last years being focused intensely on Caregiver, Nurse, Cook, Dishwasher, and finally, Horticulture Apprentice and Sweetheart.

Now God has called her to a new role: Mrs. Maren.

More photos soon!

Remembering Grandma, II

More sweet memories of Grandma, flowers, and kittens... on Elsa's blog here

Tea Timing

A friend from church grows and harvests herbs to make her own, delicious blends of teas.

Recently we found we were running low on a couple of favorites, so we ordered refills plus a lovely new blend Mom had tasted at a ladies' meeting.

Many of the teas carry names as soothing as their flavors.  This one was "Afternoon Visit."

The next Sunday morning Elsa and I couldn't get to church, but Mom brought home this beautiful surprise!

Besides being a gardener and tea-maker (and shepherd, and writer, and wife/mother/grandmother, and...), Judy is also an artist.  Her special touches on these jar lids continue to bring us joy!

Plus she sent home an extra tea, her "Cold Time" blend.  Little did we know how well-timed was her generosity.  

A few weeks later, in the one-week gap between Grandmas's funeral and our sister's wedding, Elsa got a bad cold and fever.  So I played "nurse" for a couple of days, dishing out all the remedies we knew from doctors and friends.  This tea is the most appealing form of "medicine!"

Then a couple days later, Elsa gave me "a taste of my own medicine" by putting me on the whole routine after kindly sharing a bit of her cold.

Thank you, Judy, for the wonderful tea-timing!