As Expected, totally beautiful

 The morning turned crazy after I wrote in here yesterday - but probably only on my end.  I did get hubby's suit and got it ironed;  used the steamer on the iron - much better than hand held steamers.  I also ironed one of the little ones' dresses - lots and lots of frills and I thought I would never get to the end of it!  LOL Poor little ones.... we heard they were saying 'it's heavy'.... and with all the frills, I'm sure it was.  They all looked so precious and cute in them though - and all three walked the aisle this time, although the older one had mama walk with her.  Memory making day, for sure.

The wedding started on time and was very interesting.  I loved that 'Father Tom', the priest, shared exactly what he was going to do throughout the wedding.  Watch the movie 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' or whatever it was called.  LOL Although it doesn't show it, really.  But, the wedding was beautiful and interesting to watch, for sure.  

The toughest part - and some of you may agree with this - the air conditioner was out in the church.  Ok, big church, kind of humid, although the temps are not what they are where we live.  But still... humid.  The reception was in another part of the church.... and no air conditioner.  Add 150+ people... people drinking (they had open bar) and dancing... lots of Greek dancing (wish I had thought of it and learned how to do it before we left!), lots of music I have never heard (becuase I don't listen to what the kids do nowadays)... all extremely fast and lots of jumping.... they finally played one slow one before we left - MUCH later... we did about half of it.  

The three little ones were running all over the place, dancing and having a great time.  Lots of Greek food; had for the meal a stuffed chicken breast with spinach, cheese and I'm not sure what all... asparagus and small potatoes.  And there was some kind of cream sauce over the chicken.  It was very good.  They had a small cake to cut, then lots of different kinds of cupcakes and Mexican wedding cake cookies. (I had one cupcake and one cookie!)  

I think everyone had a great time; we did as well, although we just sat at the table a lot.  Oh - I had a big surprise after we got to the reception.  Stevie had asked me to pray over the rehearsal dinner.... ok.... but I was totally caught off-guard when the DJ came over and said I was to do the prayer for the receiption too.  Make me feel a part of the wedding. :-)   The reason I was asked, though, was because 'Father Tom' had recently had knee surgery and after the ceremony (which was an hour long), he left and did not stay for the reception.  He was to have done the prayer.

We were all hot and sweaty as the evening went on and we were able to take a shuttle back to the hotel late evening.  I'm not sure what time it was.  The humidity just takes it all out of you!  Hubby was sweating to the max, even with his coat off and tie undone! Others were too.  I was sweating in my long dress.  And you know I don't sweat!  LOL   My daughter and hubby, and the three little ones came back to the hotel with us - a nice limo shuttle.  Very nice.  We left the car and the two granddaughters and their husbands there to dance and hang out with everyone.  Our favorite nurse was the designated driver so all was well. :-)    Got back to our room and I just crashed; forgot to take a shower last night but have gotten one in this morning!  

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV):  "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Appreciate the prayers.... I kept my mouth shut and behaved.  Grateful Abba heard my prayer; He knows my heart and my desire to be like Him, inside and out.  At least I don't think I made anyone irritated last night.  Nowadays it is so easy to upset the cart.

My understanding is that the bride and groom are to call certain ones to pass it on to meet downstairs for breakfast this morning.  Normally we would have already been down there,m eaten, and back to our room, but we will wait.  Not sure when they will call.... and if they don't call in the next hour or so, we may just go on down and get something to eat anyway.  I'm not really hungry, but LOL, as I type this paragraph, hubby is asking if we are going to get called to go to breakfast with everyone, or ... will  we be forgotten in all the excitement.  The newlyweds will be flying out later today to the Dominican Republic for 8 days for their honeymoon.  Praying now for their safety.  Don't like them going out of country... but I do know people who have been there recently and they are back and things were fine.  I just want my family safe.

Hubby is done in the bathroom so guess I'll finish getting my face put together.  Not going to do much; once we start traveling, it don't matter anyway.   14+hours to get here... hope we make better time going back.  We will be leaving later in the day so it will still be in the early morning hours before we get home.  Right now I am planning to still work tomorrow... I can always take my 'lunch break' and take a nap.

Have an awesome day; please pray for travel mercies as we head home.

Blessings!

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!