The Morning of the Wedding - Part 1

We had a wedding, nearly 4 months ago now. Big events stymie me. I get writer's block as I know I want to capture the day, but I'm often not sure how to communicate the emotions, how vulnerable I want to be as it IS a family journal, but it is public. I need TIME to sort through hundreds of photos and select the best ones.   Looking back on the blog since we moved to Alaska, I note that Aug - Oct often haven't shown up on the blog, or they are back dated...I should have known a wedding in August was going to take me some time to blog....I still have harvest festivals, garden and birthdays from 2020 to blog. ::snowrt:: Fall is busy here. BUT I'm determined to end 2021 "current" on the blog, and working on past years....

On this cold day in December, the fire is burning, relaxing music in a coffee shop is playing on the big screen, Grandpa is napping, the girls are doing school and it's the perfect time for me to BLOG this wedding. 

Josiah and Carrie's (CyRi) wedding.  Come to think of it, Olivia refers to it as "Our Wedding." My heart is full. I still can't think of the words to express all the feels and emotions this day brought to our family. I could not be happier to welcome a daughter into the family as I am to welcome Carrie and Olivia. God took many apparent dark and raveled threads to weave together this beautiful story. Yes, it's a story of romance. However, I can't help seeing redemption in this story. God has been so faithful to all three and today God creates a new family. We stood in awe. 

📷 Carrie's Facebook

BUT before the wedding....there was wedding prep the morning of the wedding. We were surprised when CyRi asked if they could have the wedding here. We don't have a manicured yard.  The day dawned and it was time for Larissa (our other daughter in love), Debbie, the girls and I to create Carrie's vision outside. We knew what she wanted.  Did I tell you this gal thrifted her wedding? AMAZING...she and Krista may have to vie for the title of Gherkin Thrift Queen. 😅

Larissa prepared balloons to mark our home

Looking good

Tables all set up...

So cute...

Each table was a bit different 

Everything was set when Carrie and Livie arrived. It was fun to have them getting ready here. It was an honor to be able to be quite involved in a son's wedding (doesn't always happen that way). 

Make up 

Liv gets her dress on 

Carrie's  a beautiful bride

The guys mill around outside...I love this photo...Cy walking away deep in thought, Jared on the other side of the yard in conversation but keeping an eye on Josiah. I love these Gherkins. 

And then, the people began to show up! Nolan and Alex did a great job of parking all the cars into our driveway. 

Soon....

Show time! Carrie walks out of the dining room to cross the deck, down the stairs and meet her Dad and Livie.  The ceremony is starting. 

📷 Carrie's Facebook

FRIDAY of Wedding Week

 

I should make a generic countdown board...but this works! We knew today would be busy. Friends from DC were arriving at our home. Stacia had to do all things frosting. We can help a bit with the baking. She is on her own with the decorating...because she wants it that way. She began making frosting early in the day.....

Her practice ones....this will work. 

Allie helped by keeping Millie out of the frosting. 

Allie also helped ME clean and put out fall decor....or the start of it. I decided TODAY was the day to concede victory to fall.  

Not only did Stacia frost cupcakes...but she had this "naked cake" to finish. She got it this far and waited to be sure she understood Carrie's vision before finishing. 

Debbie arrived. We've been friends since our San Angelo assignment - 16 years ago. She knew Stacia as a 2 week old. Our boys were the youth group at that assignment.  We've visited them twice in  the DC area and I told her last time it was time she came THIS way. Cyri's wedding provided the motivation to do so. 

The posse together again. When we moved from San Angelo to Japan we left Josiah and Jamin behind. The H family adopted them. They had them over for Risk tournaments, holidays, and just to hang out. They were at the hospital when Jared had heart issues. They were there for life events...weddings, graduations, good and bad times.  Jared joined them as soon as he could graduate.  At one point Steve, Jare,d and Jamin shared an apartment. 

Steve, Michal, Jared, Josiah, Jamin 

Debbie helped with PWOC when we were at Goodfellow AFB and Steve was on the Parish Advisory Council - like a deacon/elder board. It does our hearts WELL to have them back in our home after all these years...I can't help but remember deployments, family meals, rattle snakes....friendship that feels like family. 

Enjoying retirement. 

Debbie, Steve, Michael, Me

Meanwhile, Stacia frosts...and has come up with a way to let Livie help....She and Allie can help sprinkle gold flakes and balls on the cupcakes. 

Debbie, Allie and I ran out and bought more frosting supplies and Papa Murphy's pizza.  Let's call it a rehearsal dinner. LOL 

It's taking shape.  I actually think this about the right amount of frosting for eating....

This is a beautiful cake. 

This gal is about to become our granddaughter. We're excited. She fits right in around here. 

Rehearsal in the rain...and it was fine. Carrie, Livie and her parents....

A very happy groom. 

When Carrie and Josiah exchange vows, Josiah will also make some vows to Olivia. He becomes husband and FATHER tomorrow.  Just watching them ghost out the sequence had me in tears - and I wasn't the only one. 

Rehearsal selfie

Cy, Allie, Livie, Stacia, Larissa, Jared, Jamin, Michel, Steve, Debbie,
Steve,Carrie, Pam, Jerry, Michael, De'Etta 📷 by Josiah 

Larissa decorated the arch Carrie's brother made. All is ready for tomorrow. 

Thursday of Wedding Week

 By the grace of GOD we were not able to see CoRielle last weekend. If we had, we'd all be close contacts and I don't know HOW we'd be able to host a wedding on Saturday. We've all "known" but it's confirmed, covid is running through CoRielle's home. Benny is the only one not sick and proudly proclaims, "My body is strong. I am fighting the bad guy germs." 

Poor guy told his mom today he wants to go to "Baachans - there's no bad guy germs at HER house." 

We are all sad they will be unable to attend this weekend's wedding.  Carrie's brother is also not going to be able to make it. He has come down with hand, foot and mouth disease. Having seen the photos THAT is something I do NOT want to catch. 

On the wedding "to do" list today is making cupcakes.....I bought supplies, and ran out for more supplies, and ran out again for more supplies...but the cupcakes magically appeared. It's fun to listen and watch Stacia and Allie work in the kitchen.  Stacia likes having an assistant. 

The cupcakes are beautiful. By this evening there were 84 cupcakes ready to be frosted...and we are all guarding them from Millie. 

As is usually the case, we found ourselves in need of a few items...this led to the girls and I heading across to the next town to visit Walmart. When we lived in San Antonio our family began a rather odd practice, THANK YOU BRENDA! When an airplane flies directly over us we stop at DQ for a blizzard. In San Antonio we racked up an incredible number of blizzards and were still collecting on them after we moved on from TX to AK.....up here it's rare again. HOWEVER, we have a small airport in town used for bush planes, sigh seeing tours, and the forestry service. A few weeks ago a plane flew low, directly over us as we drove into town.  

Tonight, ALLIE remembered and suggested we stop at DQ on our way to Walmart. I'm usually ambivalent about DQ stops as one can't go inside, the drive through line can be long, AND I don't eat sugar these days. BUT I had my A1C drawn yesterday....I splurged. 

Not only did we pick up things needed for the wedding, we picked up LOTS of little things to drop off for Danny and Benny. We also found zinc, which CoRielle couldn't find in our town. We dropped off meds and a couple toys on our way home. 

Tomorrow is frosting day, more visitors arrive, and rehearsal.....we're going to have a wedding! 

Wednesday of Wedding Week

Any morning which begins with a blood draw (4 vials) has the potential to be hectic. 

I DID get 20 min workout in before I had to run to the appointment. I consider it a huge win in my fight against the all or nothing mentality. I wrestled to get on the elliptical. I planned to wait until I got home and get a full workout in, but finally decoded to just do what I could NOW. The day went off the rails, one funny "calamity" after another, and I was really proud of that 20 minutes by the end of the day. It was the type of day where you realize you only ate 300 calories all day at 10 p.m. 😂

A lot of good things were accomplished. 

The dead appliances moved to the dump.

Stacia and Allie cleaned the downstairs. 

Stacia weeded alongside the front of the house. 

I turned a table full of cucumbers that were "going" into 14 qts and 2 pts of bread and butter pickles. Day 25 of the #everybitcountschallenge 

BTW, I'm liking the camera on the new phone

One of the day's "misfortunes" was the discovery I didn't have sugar or vinegar when I was ready to make pickles. That did turn out for good. The girls and I delivered a van full of boxes to thrift stores. Stacia was able to get all she needs to make frosting and the wedding cupcakes during the run for vinegar. 🧁

Earlier in the day I had fried some stew meat and realized I didn't need it for the soup I was making. Score, I put it in the freezer. Another small contribution to the #everybitcountschallenge.

It's a slow blog day when I post a photo of stew meat😂

While frying the meat, I had the foresight to put some beef into the slow cooker. I try to think ahead on Wednesday nights. After all church happens weekly and the family does like to eat.😏 The girls made veggies, a fruit plate, and Stacia turned the beef into bbq beef sandwiches for dinner. 

I didn't have time to prepare, or eat, dinner by the time dinner arrived. I put the final 2 pints of pickles in the water bath and headed to Gather Bible Study. 

Astute readers can discern Allie is feeling better today. She watched what she ate and did well. The girls didn't go to youth tonight as she hadn't been symptom free for 24 hours and we didn't want to keep the bug moving through church. 😂🤪😏

Michael and I participated in a couple of late night discussions, one after the other, and climbed into bed happy and satisfied with the day's accomplishments. 

I am probably happiest about clearing out the downstairs. Things collected over the winter. These are the doors wedding guests will go through to use the restroom should the need arise. 

Not the most inspiring panoramic shot - but it shows the whole room

Boxes for the thrift store filled the space from the right half of the door,  in front of the elliptical to the bike. There was a fridge in front of the treadmill and a mattress leaning in front of all of it. We didn't want to haul them out in the winter, or during break up (spring), and the summer has gone way to fast. 😂 Stacia reports this morning (Friday a.m.) it echoes down there again and is creepy. I like creepy and spacious. 😂

OH! STEVEN (son) and STEVE AND DEBBIE (parents), friends from our Goodfellow AFB assignment arrived in state for the wedding. Steven is staying with Josiah. Steve and Debbie stayed in Anchorage as they have a tour booked for Thursday. We can't wait to see them. 

Tuesday of Wedding Week

It feels like it has been a very long day....appliance moving, soup making, Grandpa's Physical Therapy appointment, food co-op volunteering, yard work, school, men haircuts, canning, dinner, putting loads of produce away....all the things. 

Dead appliances collected & ready to move out

Some produce

Chowder - don't think it worked well 

We were thrilled for a break in the weather. We got the main areas of the yard mowed...not the whole thing but at least the area where the ceremony and food will be. If we get more breaks we'll get more done. LOL