Making music

The children in this home have officially been playing music for 19 years. Not to say that random banging and recorder blowing are not music (we won't get into that here) but the formal instrumental lessons started 19 years ago. And I just happened to be pregnant with this one when the older children started playing. It's been a part of his life from the beginning.

So it is only fitting that a number of our family members could be there to support him on an important afternoon - his senior recital.

Even Victor enjoyed the selections played by both Daniel and Isaac, remaining in the church for most of the performance - listening in his own way, of course.

Congratulations, guys. I can't wait to hear the music you make in your college years. We're thankful Isaac won't be too far so we can hopefully make it to some of his performances and we look forward to the many ways God is going to use your music to bless others.

All good things...

All good things must come to an end and the wedding day was of course, no exception.

But not before dancing and toasting and eating and fellowshipping.

And not before decorating the get-away car.

Til' the next wedding...

Say cheese!

He's ba-a-a-a-a-ck. So many questions. All. The. Time.

It was just a bit toasty in the sun.

Surrounded by two mothers, four grandmothers, and even Jesse's recently-turned-98 year old great grandmother.

Awwwwww. Too cute.

The Keul family

And the Kings. Once again, it's difficult to see a photo with one member missing. The invitation was given but it is just too hard to commit. Shame is such a liar and healing so difficult to pursue. Keep praying!

And the wedding party.

Waiting to be announced so we could go inside and out of the heat.

The best part

If we polled each individual who attended Jesse and Megan's wedding, we'd get a variety of answers. And most likely, we could tell a little bit about each person by the answer given.

My favorite part?

The glasses. Yes, I am well aware of what that says about me. And I'm' okay with that.

I've been waiting years for this. Quite possibly since before I had children.

It all started when the Good Doctor's sister told us about a wedding she attended. At the end of the ceremony, right before the bride and groom turned around to be introduced to the crowd, everyone put on a pair of disguise glasses. The bride and groom turned around to see their family and friends looking just a bit goofy. I knew I wanted to remember that and to pull it off at the wedding of one of my children.

Just to be sure I wasn't going to be kicked out of the family, I did ask Jesse' permission to pull of a prank at his wedding, without giving him any details other than it would not be embarrassing to the bride or groom and no one would get hurt. He very kindly gave me permission.

After I promised to ask Pastor Cody for his blessing. Cody not only gave permission, but he came up with an even better idea.

So...

As guests arrived, they were handed a program, a pair of disguise glasses, and a cheesy poem with directions for when to don the glasses.

Thankfully, just a week prior, Jesse and Megan had asked these two lovely ladies to hand out programs. The final piece of the puzzle was set in place; now we had an easy method for getting the goods into the hands of the attendees.

I clued in the photographer to be sure that a camera would be trained on the Bride and Groom and their reactions as well as on the properly disguised crowd.

Alas, I have no photos of either of these momentous events. I will, however, always remember one particular groomsman who couldn't stop laughing as soon as he realized what was happening.

This is what the guests were handed:

Jesse is an extra-ordinary groom

and Megan a very special bride,

so today please help us

with an extraordinarily special surprise.

Keep these glasses hidden

until Pastor Cody’s meditation.

When he says, “Your wedding day

is one of the busiest days of your life…”,

consider that your invitation

to put on your glasses,

and wait silently for the celebration.

Next Cody will say something profound

about how their

friends and family

are sitting all around…

Jesse and Megan will be instructed to

face the crowd,

only to see you sitting there disguised and silly -

Laughing definitely allowed!

Pastor Cody played it up well, taking time to show Jesse and Megan the beautiful pond and surrounding landscape behind him. Then he asked them to turn around... It took a moment for the hilarity to register but when it did...

Definitely the best part!

The ceremony

Once again, not many photos from the actual event seeing as it was unplugged and all.

But Mariana did get this sweet shot just before the ceremony, as the bride and her father headed toward the guests and her soon-to-be husband.

And Jesse and Megan won the talents of Ashley Martino who did a live painting during the wedding. Except we never got a picture of the final product.

And we also enjoyed the talents of the Good Doctor, Isaac, and Jesse's very special cello teacher who put up with him and challenged him for many, many years. It was fitting that she be a part of this day.

But the best is yet to come...