The wedding last Saturday was in the booming metropolis we often refer to as Saliva, otherwise known as our hometown of Salina, Kansas. My cousin Justin, who actually grew up mostly in nearby Chapman, got married over the weekend to a Salina girl. It was a lovely, unique ceremony with a great minister and their own special music. The highlight was definitely Jessica's walk down the aisle, which was accompanied with this theme (minus the beeps at the beginning and the lion's roar at the end!). So cute! It was a simple and sweet ceremony with just family members and a few friends, and we were so thankful to be there.
Up until my uncle's funeral a few months ago, I hadn't talked to Justin for years. I grew up playing with him and his two brothers, but after my Uncle Tracy and their mom divorced sometime in the early 90s, we sort of lost touch with all of them. As we were leaving the church on Saturday, my cousin Darren (Justin's half-brother) said it perfectly: "I kind of think that if Dad hadn't died we all might not be here together." It just goes to show that God does have a plan and a purpose in our difficult circumstances. Sometimes it just takes some time to see the blessings that come out of a tragedy. It has been so wonderful reconnecting with Justin, his mom, and his brothers Jim and Jesse.
I mentioned that the ceremony was very simple; the reception was a completely different story. It was held at my cousin Jim's home, which I was so excited to see in person because I'd heard it was fabulous. Jim owns his own construction/renovation company, and he built this amazing home for himself just outside of Salina that looks like a Cabela's store, inside and out. Jim's house is so beautiful and was so perfect for an event of this sort! Best of all, the weather was unseasonably gorgeous (I was wearing short sleeves on February 11!), and the front doors remained wide open all night, with Jim's dogs Cowboy and Buddy running in and out of the house throughout the evening. I think they enjoyed the party as much as everyone else did!
The wedding and reception were perfect in almost every way--the only thing missing was my Uncle Tracy. As Justin put it, "I just wish Dad could have been here to see it."
Okay, maybe there was one other thing missing--my good camera! I was so bummed I didn't bring it along!! I could have gotten much, much better pictures!
2 comments:
i was gonna try to help come up with a clever title for ya but you're right...that's just a hard one. love the bride's music she walked down to. now THAT is clever!
that's a pretty sweet house... :)
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