And.....it's over!

 What a beautiful day and what a beautiful wedding!   The dark clouds cleared away, the wind stopped, and it was beautiful and warm out, and sunny!

Our day started around 8:30AM at the daughters - or rather, my day did.  Hubby decided he would stay home and get dressed so just dropped me off early.  I was able to get my hair done by the hairdresser who came to the house to do everyone's hair that needed it.  She really did a good job on all of us.  The granddaughter had won a free make-up and wedding planner at a wedding thingie so the make-up artist was there mid-morning to get her makeup completed.

I got dressed around noon so that I'd be out of the way of the others trying to get dressed.  Hubby got to the house shortly thereafter.  My dress fit, but I didn't like the jacket too well - but wore it anyway.  I definitely need to lose weight. Sigh.  An on-going battle for me.  (especially today since we are off our fast and I've been eating chocolate nearly all day)

Anyway - we went over to the civic center at the time we were told to be there and I was surprised - and pleased - that my granddaughter wanted just her mother and me to get her dressed.  And she was beautiful in her dress.  Lots and lots of photos were taken and at one point, as I was praying over my granddaughter, we all three started to tear up.

The wedding went well, and I was doing really well.... even with the granddaughter saying her vows.  But I have to admit, the tears fell when the groom started to cry as he was reading his vows.  He was having trouble getting the words out - sweet words, nevertheless, but words of devotion, love, and commitment to my granddaughter.  My heart melted.  Short and sweet we all hung around getting photos taken (cause that is what the granddaughter wanted) of all the guests - then hubby and I were told to go to the back to get photos taken with the bride and groom.  

Oh my - there was dew on the grass and it wasn't long before the bottom of her dress was covered with dirt and leaves.  But it didn't matter.  She even sat on the ground so that she could have good eye-level photos taken with their daughter.  I can't wait to see those photos!   So.many.photos.

After awhile we all headed over to the reception center where there was a DJ - he was pretty good, but I didn't care a lot for the music.... and he was funny.... but he did catch hubby and I off guard.  I couldn't believe we were the only ones there married more than 35 years (we hit 40 this year in August).  So - to his chagrin, he asked what was the secret of our long marriage.  The first words out of my mouth was 'Put God first".  He asked hubby and he said 'Same".  So then the DJ had to go another route.  So do you have any advice such as don't go to bed angry?  I said no - I go to bed angry most nights! So then he asks who does the cooking (me) and who does the dishes (hubby said he did - and he does - most days) - and the DJ finally walked away.  He couldn't get anything really from us. 

But it's true.  We would not have lasted this long had we not put God first in our lives.  There have been many, many times, that I would have walked away.  But I knew that God didn't want divorce.  He didn't want my first one, but that is another story.  I didn't ask for that one.   So I stayed and admidst all the turmoil and anguish and many tears at night, I didn't leave but continued to pray and lean into God for His strength and help to get through each day.

And many times even now, I have to lean into God and continue to pray He helps me through each day.  And I wouldn't be surprised if hubby would say he does the same for me.  I'm not perfect, by any means.  I make mistakes.  But with God's help, I can rectify them or get through them.

But - back to the wedding - we were going to take the great-granddaughter home when she started getting fussy and leave everyone at the reception.  We figured by 7-8PM she would be ready for bed - but she surprised us all - and was up until we packed up arnd left the reception hall a couple hours later.  It had thinned out to about 20 people around 9PM so we 'bubbled' (blew bubbles) at the couple as they would leave..... and the crowd of family from California took it as their leave - which we were grateful.  That left us to clean up everything and get it out of the reception hall, into cars, and taken over to the daughters.  

All in all, it was a beautiful wedding and I was thrilled to see my daughter-in-love and grandchildren - and a couple great-grandchildren there attending as well.  So good to see them all, and so grateful they came.  I know it meant a lot to my granddaughter as well.

As of this moment, no weddings are on the agenda.... although I have heard I will have possibly two more great-grandchildren this year.  They just aren't ready to be parents; it will be children raising children, and it breaks my heart.  These grandchildren have got to get a goal to get their lives straightened out instead of settling for their circumstances.  They can be better and do better than what they have right now.

Guess I need to go figure out dinner since I'm writing this right after I turned off my work computer.  Wanted to get the thoughts on screen before I forgot.  

Weddings are always fun to go to....  but life happens after that.  Is anyone ever ready for the future?

Blessings!