Memory Lane

Just a few little mementos I came across in the files :) From Caelan dressing up like a princess bride when she was eight to becoming a bride at twenty!

Lovely, sweet sisters, with--as a friend pointed out--the same head tilts all these years later!

I can't get the audio of Caelan's four-year-old wedding interview to upload, but I'll share the transcript Gabby helped me with--just imagine the whole thing in an enthusiastic, lilting, little girl voice. 

Caelan: Do you know what I would do?

Mom: What?

C: I will have a very, very fancy dress

M: Oh yeah?

C: That will have some ribbon cross over it and some pink on it. My dress would be shiny silver pink!

M: Shiny, silver, pink?

C: Yep!!

M: Ohh, and tell me again what the church is going to look like . . . 

C: It’s going to have a purple, pink, and blue bow on top of it and the sign will say, “Come to Caelan’s party! It’s the most enchanter-ing party ever! I hope you all like the wonderful flowers, stay over, have some [dancing], and there’s toys there. This is going to be the greatest wedding ever!

M: That’s a lot of words on that sign! What kinds of seats are going to be inside of it?

C: Ummm, some pink seats and some blue seats on the ground.

M: So, the pink seats are for who?

C: Um, the girls.

M: And the blue seats are for who?

C: The boys.

M: And what’s the floor look like?

C: Umm, it has pink on it.

M: It has pink on it . . .

C: And blue.

M: And blue; and what happens if your husband says, “Pink’s not my favorite?”

C: I would just ask if he likes, um, a white color.

M: Ohh, you’re not just going to find a husband who likes pink? That’s what you said before.

C: In case I find a husband that likes pink, I’ll just say, “Is your favorite color pink?” and he if says “no,” I will just find a different husband.

I start laughing, Brennen (Bubba) hollers in the background—a lot :)

M: Anything else you’d like to add about your wedding day?

C: Ummm, I think I will find a beautiful silver gown with a very, very long, a very, very long cape and it will be very, very, very, very silver. And then my other one is going to be just, at the sides of it, it will be long pink.

M: Who gets to come to your wedding?

C: My friends.

M: Oh yeah? Can mom and dad come?

C: Yes!

M: Cool!

Gabby: Can I come, and Brennen come?

C: Yep.

G: Oh. 

C: Everyone can come to my wedding!

M: Oh good! Are you going to have dancing? 

C: Yes.

M: You are?

C: You just wait until you see my pretty dress!

Buck laughs

M: Okay

C: I’m going to do it when I’m a grown up. I will just call you and you can send me that thing that’s on the fridgerator and then you can make another one for Gabby, and then I will call your phone number on there, so I know it, and then I will give you the phone number to my kids when their babysitter comes and they can just call me. (Maybe?? Lots of Brennen screeching, lol!)

 M: Cool, sounds like fun! 

Things We Have a Lot Of

I've had the song from The Little Mermaid playing in my head all week . . . "Thingamabobs? I've got 20!" "Empty boxes? I've got 50, but who cares, no big deal . . . I've got moooooore!" (I don't want more like she does, but I've GOT more of many things than seems reasonable, lol!

Five days after the wedding, and after eating chicken on a daily basis, we still had five tins of chicken strips left! Most of the fries got floaty in the melted cooler ice, so those went to the chickens. We did find a tin of them in the fridge (cleverly disguised in a chicken tin), so now all of that is freezer bagged, along with fruit, and an entire sheet cake!

Sauce! And what is a meal entirely consisting of chicken strips without the sauce? Look at that Cane's sauce abundance! Do you know that there are some people who would consider this drawer full of sauce as valuable as a drawer full of gold coins?! It's just that good :)

Candy! I thought we made a dent in the leftovers when the family was here . . . and then I found four more square bowls full of candy a couple of days later--and there is still some in bags! Only 2.5 bags of popcorn left though, we did pretty good on those numbers :)

Plants . . . lol! Caelan asked if I could water her plants while she was away on her honeymoon. It took me half the day! I would say this is her Grandpa Barry characteristic--an indoor jungle of houseplants! (this is just half, if even, moved to the bathroom for easier watering. I still have two more rounds of this before they get back! :)

Chargers--and not for your phone or computer :) These rose-gold shiny plates allll seemed to have bits of chicken or frosting on them, even though I think I washed at least 100 more than we set out at the reception. I recruited both Brennen and Graysen to help me dry or else it would have taken forever!! G$ drove me out to return all the borrowed blessings to my brother and sister-in-law's garage. We also dropped off the Turkish towel (provided for swing photos) at the Czar's, a baby gift at the absent music professor's, and an overflowing bag of tulle at the Culinary Queen's abode (but we still have tulle abundance).

Cars--currently we are storing seven vehicles at our house! I think that means Olive gets her own car to visit her puppies, lol. You know, that's probably something we don't have quite enough of . . . puppies! ;)

Brennen's First Car

Wedding week didn't slow down the flow of life and growing up around here--it just delayed some of the "yesses" a few days :) Brennen has been looking online at Mustangs for a month or more. I'm guessing he likes the connection to his Grandpa Barry, who had a pretty great black Mustang convertible, circa 2001. 

Before the wedding, a "for sale" ad caught Brennen's eye, so he contacted the seller about the vehicle. Because Brennen was the first to show interest--the seller promptly removed the ad, so no one else could see it or inquire about ownership; unusual! Brennen really wanted to squeeze in a trip to go look at the car . . . but wedding, concert, no second driver availably (Buck was back to work, Chase was in FL for work, C was in Paraguay, IG had plans to drive to Ohio the next morning), his job, and so on slowed the roll. I told him he ought to let the man know that the timing just wasn't working out like you hoped and encourage him to go ahead and repost the "for sale" ad if he wanted to. Brennen did, and the man said, "I'll hold it for you." Wow!

So, bright and early on Wednesday morning--Buck had the day off-- he and B set off on a four-hour drive across the state to look at the Mustang. They had to backtrack briefly when they realized in the excitement of the adventure, they had forgotten to stop by the bank to get cash (you know, to pay for the car should it be the *yes* Brennen expected it to be :)

About five hours later, I got these pictures from Buck--Brennen bought his first car! It has, let me think, I got it wrong last time, somewhere in the 120k mile range on it. It is from 2002. It likely needs new tires next year (I'm not sure where the Lionheart ones came from? Maybe the previous owner is royal?) But otherwise, Brennen's 'Stang is in really great condition! 

The story goes: the older couple bought it about ten years ago for the wife to drive. She loves the car, but they live in the country, and it is no good on snow. It's been well-cared for by evidence of all test drives and once-overs. Brennen got a great deal on it, paying just $500 more than its model year (is that subtle enough? It is for we English, non-math majors ;) The wife took one look at Brennen and said, "You remind me of my son; you look like him. That makes me feel better about signing the car over to you." Isn't that sweet? (Caelan and I agree that Brennen is too cute to drive a cute car, especially a blue cute car, but I guess our opinion is moot at this point :)

When Buck and Brennen arrived home from their long, eight-plus hour, drive G$ and buddy C ran out the door to greet the new car owner (C got back from Paraguay the night before and had recently awoken from a 12-hour slumber :) Brennen is all smiles showing off his new ride to his friends--because of course Chase came to check it out, upon return from his work trip!

A co-worker who enjoys working on cars took Brennen and G$ to a junkyard and taught them the fine art of salvaging parts. Brennen found a few key pieces that needed upgrading and has already installed at least one of them (the piece that holds the hook for the hood prop when it is down). 

With Chase's help and G$'s moral support, Brennen got the title and registration figured out yesterday. His insurance (he researched and made several contacts with agents, but discovered adding his car to our policy, for now, and paying us for the increase is by far the most affordable route) starts August 1st. He's got lots of big plans to make his Mustang especially his. Car parts for his birthday, was buddy C's suggestion--I like it! Congratulations to Brennen; he's over the moon!

PUPPIES!

It is hard to believe that 11 days passed between puppy visits! This is an unheard of number of days between snuggles! But this visit was extra special, because it was Olive's final day of nursing, and at just six weeks old, her puppies are eating solid food and ready to get to growing up! Olive is home, yay!! She had a bath, double yay!! (and she climbed right in the tub--so she must have known she needed it :)

As soon as I set them down in her play yard, Fern managed to snag my keys (and I have a lot of keys). With them dangling from her mouth, she pranced proudly, just like her mama, straight towards the water bowl!! EEEK! I caught the keys before they took a plunge, but she was astonishingly quick for a puppy that started walking like two weeks earlier :) Both puppies are big fans of the water, so they were completely soaked most of the time I was there. The breeder said they are going to be BIG dogs, like Olive. They are still pretty sweet and little now, even in their hugeness (from a puppy standpoint :)

Could Piper be any cuter? I just don't think she could!

Hashtag Goals, right little lady?

Wait, come back! :)

So, the pup-date is that because of their slow early development physically, the vet tech does not recommend these pups for service animals. However, Miss Fern is so laid back and easy-going, they are going to keep her for another six months until she's old enough for the genetic and structure testing. If she passes these with flying colors, she will likely also go to a guardian home to become a future mama in a couple of years. Miss Piper will go up for adoption in a couple of weeks when she's old enough. But both puppies will undergo the special brain/socialization testing all the puppies go through.

In fact, the older litter just completed this testing and did better than any litter before them! Seven puppies entered the service dog program and are already receiving basic training at the facility. These four are up for adoption even though they also did amazing on the tests. There's just only so much room for new puppies to formally train.

The breeders have decided they will NEVER do two litters at the same time again--that's just so much work! So, Olive is off the hook for at least a year :) I learned that the heat cycle resets when nursing is complete, and they will skip Olive's next heat. Now we just need to get her trained on the backyard underground fence and she will be footloose and fancy free!

I think she misses her puppies, but she seems happy to be home :) She even helped me pack up a box or two of Caelan's plants--we call it the Brennen's Room Deforestation Project, heehee ;)

Wedding Week Part IV

We basically dropped all the everything everywhere when we unloaded it from the vehicles the previous night. After we sat at the table and talked highlights and memorable moments, groomsman Dale took his turn on the new sofa bed. By 6 a.m., he was on the road to a church event--impressive!

Noah and Caelan were at the airport early to leave for their honeymoon! We got updates throughout the day about a near-missed connection in Denver and stickers covering the back of the seat in front of Caelan--hopefully they didn't get blamed for the return of Jurassic Park on their flight :)

Slowly, the rest of us awoke and took stock of what needed to be done that day. I started on the literal (I'm going literal, I don't often go literal when it's not actually literal, but it was pretty close to literal) mountain of laundry sitting in my room, piles of bedding tossed around the house, and fancy wedding clothes that needed Shout spray and refreshing. Little did I know that I would still be working on this intense laundry project three full days later!!

Brennen decided *the time was now* to move into his own bedroom for the first time in his life! Well, he maybe had the nursery to himself for a few months before G$ arrived, but he likely doesn't remember that ;) I worked on moving Caelan's remaining items to other locations while Brennen worked on moving his gear from his room of 10 years, next door. To make a handy TV stand, we decided to turn the wardrobe on its side. Aha! It's amazing how quickly a girly room can turn into a guy's room . . . I'm still a little amazed by how much he got done before heading to work!

By noon, I made my way to the shower to try to wash out the gobs of hairspray from my styling the day before. Directly after, I started pulling mounds of leftovers out of every fridge, cooler, and cardboard box I could get my hands on! Buck's family soon arrived to enjoy our leftovers lunch (at least I hope they enjoyed it :) After everyone had a full tummy, they decided to take a tour of the acre . . . a visit to the chickens, an observation of the tree house exterior (we still can't find the padlock key) and accompanying pool, and then a chat around the empty fire pit--seating partially provided by the boys' construction class last summer.

One great thing about Uncle J is that he finds out what the kids are interested in and then draws from his life experience to start an interesting conversation with them. Here he is showing Graysen pictures of a truck he restored with all original everything, which spiraled into talking about great classic cars they'd seen over the years--such cool memories being made and shared! Another great thing about Uncle J is that he discovered Hot Tamales for the first time at Noah and Caelan's wedding--and he LOVES them, just like me! He kept visiting the candy jar and taking a couple more and then a couple more. On his way out the door, he was trying to scoop a few into a napkin. I told him I could probably put some in a Ziplock for him . . . did he think a gallon-sized bag was about right? :) He settled for a snack bag and was delighted with his haul!

Late afternoon, and more company arrived . . . I can't tell you how much fun it was spending time with my college girls! We laughed until our cheeks hurt! We retold all the crazy European travel stories (much to the shock and wonder of Rissa's children :) After reliving that trip, I'm really not sure how we survived intact--like Lizzie said, "God must have really been watching over you!" Oh, and we google translated the newspaper I made the headlines of, oh 25 years ago. Apparently, I represented the entire U.S. in the fight for workers' rights in the Black Sea region (and here I thought I was just doing a cultural dance with the drunk fellows, oye!!)

For dinner we ordered the promised gas station pizza (plus any leftovers, including cake that I could stack up for our guests to consume). The Colorado crew enthusiastically claimed to like the taco pizza--but how can they not? It's the best!

Rewinding a smidge: Gabby was over for most of the morning--she brought all the gifts and gear she'd transported from the wedding the night before, and she brought Graysen the Lego ship he's apparently always wanted (but we wouldn't get for him on Amazon Prime Day). He proved his excitement by assembling the whole thing while Brennen was moving rooms. Gabby also worked on deciphering a darling audio recording that Brennen helped clean up before the wedding. It is Caelan talking about her wedding plans when she was four--I'll see if I can share it! 

In the afternoon, Gabby left to go buy a dirt bike with Chase. The farm truck they were driving broke down, so it had to be towed to our NGFs' house. I'm not sure how they got back to our house, but they borrowed Buck's truck (and Graysen) to return to the dirt bike location to pick it up. They then went to Chase's house, and I assume tested out the dirt bike until G$ remembered he wanted to buy a futon for his newly brother-evacuated room.

They all (Brennen from work, too) returned late in the evening, shortly after my college friends left, and soon the sound of a buzzing drill rang through the upstairs. In a remarkably short time, a giant box was in the hallway and the futon/couch was tucked under the altered bunkbed (Grandma J discovered the bunkbed mattress in her guest room a bit earlier in the day and wondered how she was going to get into the closet to retrieve her clothes--oh boys!)

Gabby had an early morning at work, so she headed out while the boys tested out the new gaming couch in G$'s room. I think they approve! That day we ended up with a mix of 15 guests over the course of 11 hours, not counting Grandma J ;)

Hard to believe, but the next day was Grandma J's fly home day! What a fast week! We got up early and went to church--we let the boys sleep in to attend second service. I felt half-awake, if even that, but it was nice to be in church with Buck. After the service, we caught up with our kitchen coordinator friends and my brother and sister-in-law. After the wedding, they sent Mr. M off for a fun week with Grandma C and Aunt Laur, and so asked, "Want to go get brunch?" Sure, you betcha! 

So, we motored across the road to a breakfast place we haven't re-tried since we first moved here a decade ago. I remember the pancakes being really good--they still really are! We may have a new (old) breakfast place back on our list, woot! Also, I have no photos, because I was still barely awake. I do remember dropping my phone on the floor right as the waitress walked up with a bunch of drinks on a tray. That was a close one!

After a good conversation at brunch, we realized we only had about 10 minutes to get Grandma J loaded into the van for her intended departure time! I also realized I still hadn't given her the gifts we picked up for her and Auntie Z in Hawaii . . . good thing suitcases can't have those little locks on them anymore :) Just a quick unzip and problem solved!

Because the boys and Gabby were at church and the newlyweds were honeymooning, the options were few for the *last day on the stairs with Grandma J* photo! But Buck and I stepped in and filled the gap :)

Still none of us know where to look at the camera for selfies . . . there were no teens to direct us!! Ha!

After saying "goodbye for now" to Grandma J, I drove Buck in to the economy parking lot to pick up Noah's vehicle. He noticed the tire was low, so stopped to get that filled. Sounds like Rogue One will be taking a trip to the tire shop on Thursday to see if they can find the leak :) Update: they did, it's fixed!

I know this is riveting commentary, but I'm trying to remember the days as I go . . . after the airport, I think I climbed back to the mountain of laundry, Buck and I took a much-needed nap, and then we woke up to a bunch of boys, including Chase and one of our wedding helpers, quietly playing video games until we reheated wedding leftovers once more :) Gabby soon showed up to take Brennen to a rap concert an hour away. It turns out they knew tons of people there, and they had a blast!

My goodness, I could just keep going, but I'm going to conclude the wedding narrative with that! What an amazing week and what a beautiful, joy-filled wedding! How awesome to spend time with family and friends, who all drove and flew to us, to celebrate this big event in our family's lives! Thank you, God, for your love and care for all the moments like this that become memories for a lifetime 💗

Wedding Day!!

Wedding day . . . wow, it arrived! At 7:30 in the morning, our houseful welcomed the three guys from the apartment and Noah's mom into our mix. We set out a quick breakfast of juice, muffins, pastries, and yogurt while final packing got underway. Most of our vehicles were loaded the night before, but we had designated Noah's absent car as the formalwear car, and his mom's car as the food transport car, etc. We were impressively speedy! Just one more detail to take care of before we launched into the day--the gift we've been waiting all this time to give Noah was ready to make its appearance :)

If you read the wedding website, you'll know the story of Noah breaking my office chair on the night he came over to watch movies with several kids from the college and high school groups. He readjusted how he was sitting and the WHOLE arm broke off . . . it's like half-inch plastic, kind of an astonishing feat of strength. Noah was completely dismayed! He stared in shock at the broken arm, trying unsuccessfully to just stick it back together. Everyone thought it was hilarious, except Noah. The word of this incident traveled far and wide, until he was even greeted at church by our pastor saying, "So, I heard you broke a chair at Caelan's house?" Lol! This was before the two of them *officially* liked each other. There were inklings enough that I saved the arm (and I actually like the new design better! All office chairs should come with just one arm :)

After Noah and Caelan got engaged, I told Graysen to see if the arm was still where I had stashed it. He thought it was funny that I'd kept it and we decided to make Noah a special gift. We brainstormed what it would say, then Graysen wrote down my idea of, "May your love ever be stronger than the arm of my chair." When Buck and I redid the tabletop for the deck, we set aside a piece of wood, got it all polyurethaned, and put a bracket on the back. Now the newlyweds have an unforgettable bit of their history--that I would be completely shocked if they ever use in their home decor, lol! But I think Noah liked his gift, he sure smiled big when he opened it :)

8:00 a.m. It was time to roll--everyone in their respective cars or just a car they could find a seat in, and off to the wedding venue we go! I stopped by to pick up the Wedding Czar, and we arrived on scene to see the unloading actively happening with Caelan directing. Czar Jo took over--and once she had her walkie talkie (with secret service-like earpiece) AND official Wedding Czar 2023 button fastened onto her blouse--she took care of everything else for the rest of the day. It.was.awesome.

Caelan went to work setting up the head table and mantle, utilizing many of the wood flower arrangements she's been carefully making over the past several months. It looked beautiful! Meanwhile, the brothers and groomsmen took turns helping Noah hang the rafter swags (I specifically requested we not break the groom, so his time on the ladder was thankfully short--he just wanted everything to look just how Caelan had pictured it, very sweet!). Along with Grandma J and Noah's mom, the guys were decorating tables after Caelan's design--and we discovered at this point that the linens lady (who was pretty challenging to work with, but a friend of the barn owner) thought Caelan subtracted a tablecloth instead of adding one. This meant we were one full table short for our chart. 

Without missing a beat, the barn owner got in his truck and drove 1.5 hours roundtrip to pick up the missing cloth. Upon further inspection, we discovered the chairs had been set up incorrectly, too. But that was pretty easy to fix--just adding some place settings here and there and rearranging the table numbers--and the table layout pattern throughout the entire room, because straight lines are calming. Ha! Once the room "felt" right, the process could continue. All of the table decor was from C&K's wedding, which was pretty special!

When it came time to set glasses and silverware . . . we had the added challenge of not knowing where these things were. We didn't have anyone to ask, because the barn guy was collecting the missing cloth, and the site coordinator had an emergency at her other job and was not there as promised. It didn't really matter, because we are "figure it out" kind of people, and our Czar was no less shy to look in cupboards than we were, lol! The barn guy said he wanted his wedding space to feel like a family, and our family is not hesitant about making ourselves at home and getting done what needs to get done. 

The groomsmen were fantastic! They folded napkins and set out votives, they laid the silverware, and placed the glasses. Meanwhile, Graysen set up his DJ table with lights, speakers, prizes, neon, and tech. Brennen and Buck SWEATED it out outdoors making the white pergola look as beautiful as Caelan imagined. All the while, we kept a wary eye on the sky. Everyone had their own weather app, so we'd pop out phones and compare forecasts. Of course, each app said something different about storm chances and timing, so we focused on Plan A until we knew for sure. Two p.m., when the sound equipment would arrive for set up, was selected as our ceremony location decision time.

Later in the morning, our hairstylists arrived--childhood friends of our girls! They haven't seen each other since they were waiting for their permanent teeth to come in, but it was so much fun to catch up on Caelan's special day! D1 is studying hairdressing, just like her mama--she was shocked when I told her that her mom was the last professional to cut my hair, lol :) I told her Buck takes care of all trimming, and she was a bit speechless. D2 asks good questions and has a calm demeanor (which was good for a busy bridal room, filled with up to 10 ladies getting ready at any given time). She also made really good suggestions for ways her sister could make hair decorations look prettier or where curls should go--clearly these two have paid attention to their mom's lifework!

I'm not sure what the boys were doing at this point--maybe still decorating? Maybe playing XBOX in the guys' room? (the photo below is the only one Buck took the entire day :) The details blend together. But we'd hear on the walkie talkie, "This is Czar to Princess Room; Prince Charming is on the move." Then Caelan knew to stay put and out of the viewing range of the oft-opening bridal room door. The newlyweds-to-be were happy to see each other in the morning, but wanted all the hair, make-up, and clothing to be a sweet wedding aisle surprise.

Around noon, our friend K arrived to set up the cake she'd baked. When she requested *a few more* flowers to really finish the look she was going for, it was no problem! Caelan had a person-sized box of wood flowers available to make K's decorating dreams come true :) And speaking of dreams coming true, when we called earlier in the week for payment, Grandma J snuck in, "And an order of lemon bars!" We tagged them on, ordering the smallest number K said she could make. But when the lemon bar box opened, it turns out K baked enough to feed a small army of wedding preppers! We munched on lemon bars for days--we sent some home on the plane with Grandma J--and there are still more in our freezer! I'm hoping, in return, K liked the bag of bottle tops we've been saving for just this occasion :) Our boys started a tradition of trading bottle caps for baked goods way back when the bakers had a bakery we could enjoy in person--the tabletops were made of bottlecaps sealed under epoxy. I love this little tradition our families have together :)

While I was waiting my turn for hairstyling, Buck, Grandma J, and I took on the daunting task of steaming out Caelan's enormous, layered, sparkly, intricate wedding dress--with train. Oof! Thankfully, C&K let us borrow their industrial-sized steamer, because the little mini steamers we planned to use would have taken all day! I thought that much steam in an already muggy bridal dressing room would mean ruin to the carefully done hair and make-up. So, we hung Caelan's gown in the doorway between the kitchen and the banquet room. We didn't have permission, it just made the most sense to me :) 

Shortly after we began, the barn guy returned--with the missing table linen! He poked his head around the dress and said, "I'm sure glad you're doing that in here! Everywhere else the fire alarms are super sensitive; we've had steamers set them off in the entryway, the bridal suite, and the bathroom." Can you imagine if we'd have set the alarms off while he was away and there was no one around to disengage the fire department? Oh, my golly! Thanks, God, for that bit of injected wisdom!

Throughout the day, our Wedding Czar buzzed between rooms, keeping everything, everywhere on track. She brought with her an "Uh-oh Bag" containing absolutely all the things! When an unfortunately timed reach left a three-inch steam burn on my arm, instant blisters--she had burn cream and giant Band-Aids at the ready! When we, twice, needed to repair the wedding dress (I forgot we told the seamstress we would sew the bottom layers together at home, until I saw the two bright-yellow pin heads x-marking the spot) the Czar had a needle, thread, and clippers ready for action.

And when the threatened storm rolled in shortly before the ceremony--our Czar engaged Plan B, indoor ceremony, in a room that looked like a fairytale. 

Caelan calmly accepted the news, and Czar Jo briefed the guys on the new plan . . . we didn't rehearse an indoor ceremony, so the timing would be similar, but different, the line-up the same, but more crowded at the start, the family seating a bit more complex, but it all worked out beautifully! The photographers arrived on scene and began their detail photos, we served some lunch to all the helpers, and everyone stayed in a cheerful and helpful mood. No matter what the weather, this was a great day! 

And I was happy to spend a few minutes with just my girls in the dressing room. I know Gabby got misty-eyed seeing her sister all arrayed in white. I love their love for each other and how apparent it is in moments like these 💗

Before the rain hit, the photographers invited Caelan outside (once the groom was safely stowed away in his dressing room) for the *first look* with her dad. Aww! So precious! The second photo is one Gabby took and it has proven everyone's favorite of that moment 💕

I can start interspersing some of the photographer's work now, because she sent a picture-perfect array of "sneak peeks" for us to enjoy within just a couple days of the wedding. We'll get the full album and wedding video in a couple months, but everyone is excited to see the "teaser" that will be released ahead of the full video--hopefully any day now!

Three o'clock arrived and so did our guests. As they surveyed the seating chart and found their tables, we were ready! In fact, we were ahead of schedule. 

"Ready to go?" 

"Oh, yes, let's go!" 

All bubbling with energy, we lined up in our pairs in the tiny hallway between the bridal room and the restrooms. A late-arriving couple came through the doors as Brennen and Graysen escorted their grandmas down the aisle. Noah's mom has such a helping heart, she headed straight over to make sure the stray guests could find their spot in the room--but it was her turn to walk down the aisle! So, she hurried back to her place beside her husband, and away they went. Right behind them, Noah and me . . . he was so excited he was shaking (just a little). They've waited (what's felt like to them) so long for this big moment, this wonderful day! I couldn't stop smiling as he escorted me to my seat.

Then the big moment arrived! The music swelled, I stood, and everyone else stood . . . Caelan appeared on her dad's arm and Noah burst into tears. Perfect!

How does anyone rewrite a wedding ceremony? It is just something you have to be there for-- to hear the sound, see the emotion, feel the love. When the Holy Spirit is part of something as special as a wedding ceremony between two young people who have only ever loved each other, there's something a little awestriking about that. 

Having our former worship pastor, who really helped Caelan solidify her perspective on what worship is and what it means, leading us in worship was indescribable--the tears wouldn't stop! They sang It is Well with My Soul, which my sweet friend, Rosie, sang at Buck's and my wedding 22 years ago. Noah's mom said the other song, Never See the End, is one Noah and Caelan played on piano and sang together one of the first times they visited her home. She said she cried then and then Noah started, and Caelan joined them--so it was sweet the wedding couple chose songs that had meaning for both sides of their families :) 

And Michelle played piano for all the important parts of the ceremony--she's been in our family's lives really since we moved here. She directed the very first children's performance the kids did--at a homeschool tea we (randomly) attended. She directed their first choir experience, when Brennen and Chase sang a duet. She taught piano to Caelan and our boys. She accompanied Caelan in a number of college performances, and she played for Noah and Caelan's college graduation ceremony. Another of God's little nods at the bigger family we've formed in this community!

Having Pastor N leading the ceremony, too, was special. I think this is only the second wedding he has performed? He has been a mentor in Noah's life since he arrived in our town; he and his wife took the newlyweds through their premarital counseling sessions. He's a family pastor, helping new families be formed :)

And so, with Pastor N's guidance, Noah and Caelan spoke traditional vows to each other, and, while they exchanged rings, they spoke a second set of beautiful Biblically-sound vows that Noah wrote. In what seemed like just seconds later, they were pronounced husband and wife!

We knew a bubble-filled aisle kiss was in the hoped-for photo captures, so we got special permission to use the bubble making gun indoors. Everyone cheered and celebrated until the newlyweds disappeared into the bridal suite for 15 minutes of quiet before greeting their friends and family as a married couple. At the end of the aisle, both Brennen and Graysen were in tears, happy tears, but wow, what a monumental transition! I gave them each a big hug, as they smiled through their tidal wave of emotions. That's a lot of joy in one room, let me tell you!

Noah and Caelan wanted their guests to feel comfortable, entertained, and involved in the events of their wedding day. Already prepared for them, guests found popcorn, pretzels, and candy for snacking, card games for playing, messages in a bottle for writing (for first anniversary reading), and all sorts of activities Caelan dreamed up to keep guests having a good time while the photographers took family and bridal party pictures. There were also toys--just like in her wedding wish when she was four :) Caelan made cute coloring books, little bags of fresh crayons, a basket of fruit snacks, our Mr. Potato Heads and FAO Schwartz piano from our kids' childhood, and a stack of wooden Paw Patrol puzzles from the current childhood of our youngest guests :)

When Graysen finished his photo obligations, he kept things entertaining by making his scripted announcements over the speaker system and by running the Kahoot! For those who don't know or who weren't there (but really, I think everyone who reads this was :) a Kahoot! is a quiz written, in this case, by the couple with questions specifically related to them--a trivia game. Graysen added commentary before and after the questions and kept everyone laughing. He really did an excellent job.

One aspect of wedding planning that felt like nearly last minute (although it was in the works all along) was the main meal. Our Culinary Queen, a newer friend from church and her amazing family, brought a carload of outdoor games--but the weather put the nix on that side of the entertainment planning. More importantly, they offered to run the kitchen. We were entirely grateful for their help in all aspects of *food* for the wedding, because food is definitely a big part of the celebration!

Two cool things about this--H and her husband and boys helped everything move so smoothly. They set-up the food, kept refills coming, made sure everything looked beautiful, dismissed tables (that was their older son), cleaned up tables (that was their younger son, who really likes kitchen work and was impressed by the "biggest dish pit he'd ever seen!")--our boys have the best group of friends! And the meal itself, Raising Cane's fast-food chicken strips, fries, and toast. Caelan and Noah love this restaurant. They figure, everyone wants to eat what the kids are eating at weddings, so why not serve it as the main course? When the gal at our local store heard about their enthusiasm, she offered delivery service (when it's not offered), coordinated the times perfectly, and even left a very curiosity-invoking, stuffed-to-the-max gift basket for the newlywed fans! We received so many compliments about our fresh fruit salad, and the hot, crispy meal from Cane's--the photographers even gave it a shout-out on their business page :)

After everyone was full (even though I'm noticing all the plates in the pictures before this look unused as of yet :), Graysen announced that he was going to stop for an outfit change--from brother of the bride to DJ of the party :) I wish I would have caught the first moments when he walked out in his sparkly pink coat and rose-colored glasses--it was epic! "Let's get this party started . . ."

In the early evening, we stepped outside to take our own photos with family and friends, hoping to catch some like the beautiful bridal party photos that were snapped earlier. The weather had cooled and softened, and the sunlight and sunset painted rural beauty at its finest! Buck and Brennen's decor that survived the storm made for a lovely backdrop for capturing new memories with friends from long ago and friends from not-so-long ago, and we were so thankful to have both in one place!

Inside there was the first dance, the cake cutting, the conversations among friends and family reunited. So many moments to remember, so many pictures to share! How long can one post be? :)

The marrying pastor's three daughters took in the splendor of this day, absorbing every moment in wide-eyed wonder. As the oldest (nine years) twirled on the dance floor, Gabby heard her say enthusiastically, "I'm going to have a thousand weddings!!" Later, Grandma J saw the three girls playing wedding, immediately putting their freshly gained observations into practice. A few days earlier, when their dad was telling them the things he had to say at the ceremony, like "kiss the bride," the oldest said she planned to get married, but wanted no part of that. At the end of Caelan and Noah's wedding, her parents asked her favorite part of the day, and she replied, "The kissing!!" Ha! 💗

As 10 p.m. approached, Noah and Caelan danced to City of Stars (which was part of their college-romance music score) complete with lifts and spins and twirls--a very romantic last dance of the evening. Then GJ glanced down at the laptop screen to see which song was coming up next on the shuffle. "Should I change it?" he pondered briefly. "Nah, I'll just let it play." Seconds later . . . "Uga-chacka, uga-chacka, uga-uga-uga-chacka," blasts through the speakers. Noah started laughing, we all started laughing, and someone wisely remarked, "Only a little brother could get away with that one!"

After sending Noah and Caelan off on their honeymoon, the family that hadn't already left and the groomsmen worked together to un-enchantering the wedding space. The endless boxes and MOUNDS of leftover food were packed, and the twinkle lights dimmed. Grandma J and I were the last car to leave and stood talking with the wedding venue's owner. I said, "I didn't know your wife, but I bet she'd be really proud of you." He reiterated that he wants to run the place like family, not like business, and said he has to give hugs as the last folks leave. So, we hugged him and said our farewells to the man who let our princess get married in his palace. What a wonderful day!

(This is just my perspective on the wedding day--everyone has their own bright points and memories--the first round of writing and uploading photos has taken six hours and the editing four more, just for this one post; I can hardly imagine the treasure trove of details I've missed or wasn't a part of or the highglights of conversations I shared with family--nieces and nephews and cousins and brothers, I don't get to see very often. It was all important! And we are so grateful for everyone who sincerely cared about Noah and Caelan and wanted to help make their wedding day the grand, glory-filled event that it was. I hope I'm not missing the *story* in the middle of the details; sometimes writing well takes a long time to get from my heart to my head to my hands 💕)