June Weddings

June has been a month of weddings! I love weddings. I can remember back to middle school times when GG would be invited to weddings and started letting me come along. We'd talk about the décor and the dress and food and everything else wedding related as a way to think about planning my wedding long from then. And even now, 5 1/2 years after my own wedding, I love attending other's special days.

Two weeks ago, we attended Andrew and Amanda Naeger's wedding. Andrew was Charley's best man and college roommate, and since they were freshman, I've kept track of him through Charley. Andrew is one of the best guys I think I know. He has been the most kind, loyal, and funny friend to Charley. And his wife, Amanda, is as sweet as she can be!

Their wedding was our first night to get dressed up and go out without kids since Grace was born! It was a really nice time for Vic and I to spend together; all of this was thanks to Molly and GG who took care of Atticus and Grace for us. The entire day and night were fun! The ceremony was refreshing and you could just see the bride and groom's young love for one another. In fact, one thing I remember most about their ceremony was the priest telling us how important the scriptures read at their wedding were and how we should go back to our own wedding scripture and read them again. So, Vic and I said we would do exactly that. The two scriptures read at our wedding were:

I Corinthians 13; 4-7, 13:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But, the greatest of these is love.

Psalm 128:

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
    who walk in obedience to him.
² You will eat the fruit of your labor;
    blessings and prosperity will be yours.
³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
    around your table.
⁴ Yes, this will be the blessing
    for the man who fears the Lord.

⁵ May the Lord bless you from Zion;
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life.
⁶ May you live to see your children’s children—
    peace be on Israel.

Isn't this what a wedding should mostly be about? The reception and food and flowing drinks are fun, but the ceremony is the heart of the wedding and a time to share God's love with everyone in attendance. Not only were we able to watch two people take vows to one another to love and honor forever, but it gave us a chance to also remember the vows we took on our own wedding day. Any moment in our lives that lets us reflect on what is most important is a special one.

 

This past weekend, we were also happy to attend the wedding of Kevin and Charlotte Verett. Kevin is the father of Katie, Keller, Kinsey and Kirsten, some more of our favorite people that you've heard about many times on this blog. Kevin's wife passed away a few years ago from cancer just a couple of years before Keller also passed away. This family is one of the strongest, kindest, and most giving families we know and we are lucky to have them as friends. Recently, God went to work, as he usually does, and found a wife again for Kevin; Charlotte, whose husband has also passed away. He put them together to form another family. While emotional, bittersweet memories of Keller were present during the ceremony and slide show, we were happy to see Kevin become happy in marriage again and wish them so much happiness.

So, thank you to Amanda, Andrew, Kevin and Charlotte for reminding us, with your wedding ceremonies, the unique love and respect that is a part of our marriages and thank you for letting us share in each of your special days.

This makes me even more excited for Jill and Geoff's wedding coming up in just less than one month! The pictures below are Kristofer and Grace after Kevin and Charlotte's wedding. We went to their hotel restaurant to visit for awhile with Kristofer, his Katie, Steve and Patricia. For the record, I am going to hope for a girl or two first for Kristofer before he gets his boys to carry on the family name. This is just too adorable.